I have no desire to draft a goalie this year and I dont see why we would. Quick is here for 10 years. Bernier does NOT need to be traded; we can sign him for another 1-2 years then move him if needed. Vet backups are always cheap to acquire. Plus, I think one of Jones/Berube/Martin could still develop into a future backup for us.
Bernier will need to be traded very soon. He's an RFA this off-season, and has already asked for a trade and wants to be an NHL starter. Meaning likely one of three things:
A. Bernier goes to RFA and gets a RFA offer, which forces a trade or that we take the compensation.
B. Bernier signs with us and likely demands to much for the backup position, forcing us to trade him to make the cap work. And we are very cap tight next year. Not to mention it runs the risk of a Luongo/Schnieder situation, which is a sideshow to the team.
C. Bernier refuses to sign and holds out for a trade.
Bernier wants out, that's clear, and his contract is up, meaning he has a lot of power to force his way out if he wants.
With Jones, he's getting in Jeff Zatkoff territory; we'll need to decide what we are going to do with him in the next 12 months. Almost guaranteed he'll be out of the developmental system by this time next season, either up with us as a backup or being ready to the be let go as a RFA/UFA.
So in the minors we will have Berube likely in Manchester and Gibson likely in the ECHL. The way DL has set things up in the past, this is exactly when he'd draft (or sign in the case of Jones) a goalie to sit in the CHL for a few years, then be ready to step into the pro ranks when another goalie graduates.
If you look at the drafting history under the current drafting team (Futa, et al.) the Kings grabbed Linden Rowatt in 2007, Berube in 2009, Gibson in 2011. So every second year. The next year if that pattern holds is 2013.
I fully expect us to grab a goalie in rounds four or five.