I'm still not sure I buy the rumour that the Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a serious offer for Jonathan Bernier, but the outcry from us around here at PPP makes it clear that most of us have our eyes set on a larger prize, anyway.

If we're going to gamble on an unproven goalie, it might as well be a tandem of James Reimer and Ben Scrivens. If we're going to trade for Roberto Luongo, the price had better come down. The UFA options are, for all intents and purposes, gone, and there's no use signing a marginal NHLer to take the place of one that the Leafs are already paying in Scrivens.

We're in the middle of summer, and Brian Burke hasn't figured out a way of solving his goaltending problem, yet.

Leafs Links:

Report: Leafs make pitch for Jonathan Bernier
Cam Charron with his take at The Leafs Nation.

Leafs Nation Podcast: Old Players, Old Identities, New CBA
Danny Gray and I with our latest hockey talk.

Ben Scrivens vs. the NHL
Hrm. Not much comfort to be taken in this. From Cam Charron at The Leafs Nation.

Goaltender Watch: Where Will The Toronto Maple Leafs Go From Here?

Luke Garrison at Maple Leafs Central with his two cents.

Other Hockey Links:

The NHL's initial proposal
It was pretty ugly. From Cam Charron at The Leafs Nation.

Ladislav Scurko, 2004 NHL draft pick, convicted of murdering referee
He gets 8 years. From Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy.

Canadiens sign Blake Geoffrion to one-year deal
It's a two-way deal worth just north of $800k. From the CP at the Globe.

Capitals sign Mike Green to 3-year extension
Most of you will already have read this, but it's for a total of $18.25-million.

NHL, KHL extend agreement for another year

Good news, I suppose. From the AP at the Globe.

NHL’s labour woes raise prospect of a broadcasting vacuum this fall
Le sigh. From Bruce Dowbiggin at The Globe.

CONFIRMED: Ondrej Pavelec Has Been Charged With DUI
Always good to hear about your recently re-signed goalie. From truck at Arctic ice Hockey.

Intangibles, and the consistently undervalued Kyle Wellwood
Cam Charron elaborates.

Arbitration explained: because "Arbitration for Dummies" seemed too harsh
A good read from Derek Marr at Backhand Shelf.

From The Branches