Maple Leafs’ Bernier OK With New Contract
Fresh off signing a two-year contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs, goaltender Jonathan Bernier said he’s fine with the deal, even though the team's offer was initially lower than his previous contract.
“There's obviously things they say that you don't want to hear, but at the same time, I think you grow from those experiences. I won't be sour about it. I know it’s part of the business,” Bernier said via NHL.com. "They're trying to get the best deal possible; we're trying to do the same on our side. I'm just happy right now that we found a deal for the terms that we wanted."
The reported deal for Bernier is at $8.3 million over two years -- or about $4.15 million annually. The team initially offered $2.89 million for a year while Bernier demanded $5.1 million per season before arbitration decided on the new figures. The 26-year-old Bernier was the first round pick by the Los Angeles Kings or the 11th overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft playing for the Kings from 2007 to 2013 and then traded to Toronto.
Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello said there will be an “open competition” at the goaltending duties in Toronto, as per a report. Bernier and James Reimer, the other goalie in the team, will most likely share duties at that position for the upcoming NHL season.
“I want to be part of the Maple Leafs, especially the rebuild," Bernier added in the article. "I think that's something amazing. I'm pretty sure they have a good plan and we're going to go in the right direction. I'm excited.”
In 113 regular season games for the Maple Leafs, Bernier posted goals against average of 2.78 and a .918 save percentage.
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