Toronto Maple Leafs: 10 Storylines Heading Into the Draft and Offseason

7. Is Jonathan Bernier the Team’s Number One Goalie Moving Forward?

Apr 5, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier (45) comes out during player introductions against the Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeated Ottawa 3-2 in an overtime shootout. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Dave Nonis found a way to get Jonathan Bernier, when the Los Angeles Kings had to let him go. The Philadelphia Flyers were one of the teams that wanted Bernier, and the Leafs were able to make a reasonable deal at the time to acquire him. However, it was a head scratching one after an impressive season from James Reimer, who was vital in the first round series against the Boston Bruins (which will live in the nightmares of Leafs fans for years to come). Bernier has shown moments of brilliance and others to forget (the game this past season against the Arizona Coyotes comes to mind). With intriguing prospects on the Marlies roster, the future between the pipes looks strong in Toronto, but does it include Bernier? Well, there has been some developments on that front.

Mar 9, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) during the playing of the Canadian anthem before the start of their game against the New York Islanders at Air Canada Centre. The Islanders beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

This comes after Bernier’s fiancé and Hockey Wives star Martine Forget posted a picture on instagram of their 10 month old son Tyler. What seemed like an innocent picture to many, was apparently more than that. The Toronto Sun reported that the picture was re-posted with the Leafs logo blurred out and a comment from Forget saying,“it’s for a reason, but I can’t tell anyone now”. Is this a response to the Leafs decision to go to arbitration? Probably, but the fact that the Leafs are going to arbitration suggests the team is planning on having Bernier return next season, but are probably not willing to roll the dice on a long term contract extension.