Bernier to New Jersey? A Trade That Satisfies Everyone

I entertained the thought of writing a post centered around the Scott Gomez buy-out situation, but in all honesty, I don't really care about it. There isn't much to be written on the topic, other than explaining what's going on. This would require me to educate myself on both the old and new process of buy-outs in the NHL, but with all the stuff going on that's actually interesting, I really couldn't be bothered.

Nothing better than two hot girls fighting over a big stick, eh?

So instead, I've decided to talk about two of the most intriguing teams in the league, and make another prediction of sorts. The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils treated hockey fans to another exciting Stanley Cup final. What made it so great is that it was perhaps the most unexpected match-up in Stanley Cup history. The eighth seed Kings beat the sixth seed Devils, who once again found their way to the finals, despite most of the "experts" tabbing them as bottom-dwellers before the season started. Believe it or not, I had actually picked the Kings and Devils as my Stanley Cup match-up before the season started, but for some reason switched my East pick to the Penguins come playoff bracket time. Actually, I'm on a two year streak, as I had also picked Vancouver and Boston during the 10-11 preseason. I don't remember my 09-10 picks, but I know is they weren't even close. Buffalo and Vancouver, I think..

Brodeur challenges Hedberg following a dispute
over who is older.

I digress. The reason I write about New Jersey and Los Angeles today is because I see a potential trade brewing. As everyone worries about Luongo, I'm even more interested in Jonathan Bernier, the goalie drafted in the first round who has found himself playing back-up to Jonathan Quick for the better part of three seasons. It's clear that Los Angeles is not a good fit for Bernier, and he's already stated himself that he would be better suited elsewhere. On the other side of the country, the other Stanley Cup finalist has two aging goalies that will be a combined 81 years old come May. As happy as Lou Lamoriello must be with that tandem of Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg, he has to also recognize that within a few years, he's going to have a serious goaltending dilemma on his hands. Jonathan Bernier offers perhaps the best opportunity that Lamoriello will have to obtain a reliable goalie for the post-Brodeur era. The only problem here seems to be that both Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg are signed through the '13-14 season, and both have no trade clauses. So if Lamoriello is to set his sights on Bernier, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of whether he should risk waiting until either Brodeur or Hedberg decide to hang up their skates, or ask one of them to wave their no-trade clause. You may say, "Well what if he does neither? Then he doesn't have to worry about being between a rock and a hard place." True, but if he does neither, then in two years time, the rock will be the  14th seed Montreal Canadiens, and the hard place will be the line under the fifteenth row of the conference standings.

Bernier spots his girlfriend in the crowd wearing a Quick jersey.

Despite Bernier's desire to move on from Los Angeles and get out from underneath Jonathan Quick's shadow, general manager Dean Lombardi has said he's not in any rush to move Bernier yet, saying how valuable a back up goalie is, especially with a condensed schedule. This gives the Devils a bit of leeway. However, I think waiting until the offseason to pursue Bernier would be too risky, especially with all the other teams who will be after him. The best thing I think Lamoriello can do is ask Johan Hedberg to waive his no-trade clause as the April 3 trade deadline approaches. This sets up a potential deal that would appeal to both sides. The Devils offer up Johan Hedberg, Andy Greene, and a second round draft pick. The Devils have a bit more defensive depth than do the Kings, and the Kings have a pretty complete offense, so adding a proven defenseman and a reliable back-up for Quick may be just what Lombardi is looking for. Obviously, Hedberg isn't getting any younger on the Kings either, but the second round draft pick gives Lombardi the opportunity to pick up a goalie to replace Hedberg if none of their current minor league goalies are tickling his fancy. In exchange, he gives up Jonathan Bernier and defenseman Davis Drewiskie (to minimize the extra cap inherited with Hedberg and Tallinder). This gives the Devils exactly what they need, which is a young and promising goalie. Bernier, drafted 11th overall in 2006, and just 24 years old, is exactly that. Also, it gives them back a bit of their defensive depth lost by trading away Tallinder. On the Kings end, they only add about $2,533,000 to their team's overall cap hit.

Jonathan Bernier becomes the first goalie to perform
a pad-stack save since the practice was outlawed
following the 2005 CBA.

This deal works out great for Bernier, too. Even though he would find himself playing a mostly back up role for the next year or two, he can take solace in the fact that the number one job will be all his as soon as Marty calls it a career, which can't be too far away. Brodeur is only signed through this season and the next, but has said that if he still feels good by the time his contract expires, there's a possibility he may sign for another year. To me, playing NHL level hockey seems easier said than done at age 42; just ask Dwayne Roloson. But to be fair, comparing Brodeur to Roloson is like comparing Breaking Bad to Lost. Yeah, Lost was good and all, but if you had to to stick Jack Sheppard or freakin' Heisenberg in your net, who would you pick?

Even if Brodeur does stick around until age 43 or beyond, I would imagine Bernier would be logging the bulk of the minutes by that point, or at the very least, the two would split the time. Plus, while he awaits that day, he'll have the chance to be mentored by arguably the best goalie that's ever played the game. Bernier has even shown the occasional flash of the 90s hybrid style of play, so him and Brodeur could be a good fit. All in all, this is a deal that benefits everyone, and may become a very real possibility in the near future.

In other news, college football player Manti Te'o's girlfriend was spotted at a Coyotes games this week:

Photo credits: Miss Universe Organization, Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Jeff Gross/Getty Images, David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net, ciskie.blogspot.com