from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

With all the other question marks surrounding the Maple Leafs heading into this summer, add the contractual status of their No. 1 goalie.

Jonathan Bernier hopes to land a long-term deal, but approaching restricted free agency, the club has exercised its option for salary arbitration for 2015-16. Bernier’s numbers last year were down as the Leafs’ second-half collapse consumed him as well as other players.

The Leafs don’t have any in-house options other than coming back with Bernier and James Reimer and because they chose arbitration, they have no walkaway option if the decision goes against them.

So it’s unlikely something won’t be ironed out before an actual arbitration hearing takes place in July or early August. A two- to three-year deal may also result, but the dollar value is in question as the shine came off Bernier after he debuted in 2013-14 with 26 wins and a .923 save percentage. That was the highest in team records since the stat was introduced in the early 1980s, but underlined a poor team defence in front of him.

A year short of being a UFA, Bernier made $5.8 million US on his past two-year deal, more than half of it in Year 2 when he won less games and had a drop in save percentage.

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