Jonathan Bernier

This is part one of a preview series on potential trade deadline targets for the Leafs. Important to keep in mind is the framework in which I'm analyzing these trade options in this series: Brian Burke will be weighing the future against the present. Burke's only going to be dealing for immediate help if it equally benefits the team long term. There will be no selling out for this season; as much as Burke is feeling the pressure to make the playoffs in his fourth season as Leafs czar, more patience is needed as his team simply isn't at that stage of the competition yet.

Evgeni Nabokov:

The attraction to the 37-year-old pending UFA is one, how well he's fared in front of a porous Islanders defense since his return to the NHL, and two, his history of success under head coach Ron Wilson in San Jose.

The Islanders have struggled to find consistent reliability in net as much as the Leafs have in recent seasons, so dealing Nabokov as opposed to signing him seems unlikely at this point barring an inability to come to terms in contract negotiations. [more…]