Slap Shot: Bernier Is a Hot Trade Topic, but Are His Numbers Good Enough?

After Rick Nash, the player most often mentioned as a tempting possibility as Monday’s N.H.L. trade deadline draws near is the Los Angeles backup goalie Jonathan Bernier.

In the wall-to-wall trade talk on the Canadian networks TSN and Sportsnet and anywhere else where trades are discussed, it is practically impossible to hear Nash’s name without a reference to Bernier’s — the idea being that Columbus can pick up a fine young starting goalie in Bernier if Nash approves being traded to the Kings.

But how good is Bernier? Bernier, 23, is “buried” behind Jonathan Quick in the Kings’ netminding tandem but is “N.H.L. ready,” according to various newspaper articles over the last week.

The numbers, however, say something vastly different.

In 11 games this season, Bernier’s save percentage is only .900, a mark that qualifies as only the 63rd best among the 80 goalies who have stepped onto an N.H.L. rink in 2011-12.

Is he merely having a bad season? Bernier’s career mark in 43 N.H.L. games is .908 — again, a below-average figure that is far from impressive.

Perhaps Bernier excelled in juniors? Not really: in four years with the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Bernier compiled a .908 save percentage — competent at the junior level but hardly mind-blowing.

Bernier’s lofty reputation seems entirely predicated on two things: a stellar 2009-10 A.H.L. season with the Manchester Monarchs, in which he posted a .936 regular-season save percentage and a .939 playoff mark; and being named most valuable player of the Quebec league playoffs in 2007, when his .919 performance helped Lewiston to the league title.

But that is pretty much it. Bernier may indeed wind up being a good N.H.L. goalie, but at this point, he is no better than a latter-day, pre-injury Rick DiPietro — someone whose one or two good seasons have somehow erased a much larger body of mediocre work.

At this point, the evidence points to one thing: if the Kings can indeed swap Bernier for Nash or any other player of value, they will probably have pulled off a steal.

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