Ducks trade for goalie Bernier

Jonathan Bernier swept away the past couple of seasons as smoothly as he deflects pucks when he talked about returning to Southern California.

It’s a fresh outlook for Bernier, who filled a major off-season need for the Ducks as backup goalie when they acquired him Friday from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2017 conditional draft pick.

“I think it’s going to be a great fit for me, and obviously a new chapter,” Bernier said.

Bernier will back up John Gibson, who was given the No.1 role when the Ducks traded Frederik Andersen to Toronto last month. Bernier said he had “no idea” he was going to get traded, but the clock was ticking on his Toronto tenure when Andersen arrived.

Bernier, 27, will try to revive a career that began with high expectations as the Kings’ first-round draft pick in 2006. He backed up Jonathan Quick on the 2012 Stanley Cup-winning team before he was traded to Toronto in 2013.

Bernier had a career-high tying three shutouts and a 2.88 goals-against average in 38 games last season but played behind a poor defense and was 12-21-2.

“Playing in Toronto, I had a really good experience, but going through a rebuild is never easy,” Bernier said. “I’m going to a team that’s a Stanley Cup contender, and you’re feeling better coming into camp and knowing you have a great team in front of you.”

Bernier politely steered from questions about his comfort level as a backup and playing out the final season of his contract. The Ducks will pay $2.1 million of his $4.1-million salary cap number because Bernier received a $2-million bonus from Toronto on July 1.

Ducks General Manager Bob Murray had said he needed a backup who can play 20-25 games because Gibson, who turns 23 next week, wasn’t yet ready for a full NHL workload.

Reunited with Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle, who coached Bernier in Toronto, the veteran might get heavier backup responsibility.

“I had to gain his confidence when I got traded to Toronto,” Bernier said. “But we always got along well. He’s a very detailed coach. He demands a lot, and that’s what you want from your coach.”