image courtesy of player's Twitter

Fantasy Summary

Has offensive upside and can be fantasy relevant in deepest of leagues but will have a difficult time making it to the NHL.


Observations

Click to Expand

May 2023 – Berni will not be worth much in the offense department, but he plays a good physical game, accrues a decent amount of shots, and hits efficiently. Depending on injuries, Berni might see his ice time get cut this year, and will likely only have worth in the deepest rounds of your fantasy drafts. Joshua Rosa

September 2020 – Berni will remain in Switzerland and begin the year with the ZSC Lions (NLA) before making his way to Cleveland to begin his North American play. Dave Hall
July 2020 – Berni has officially signed his ELC with the Blue Jackets and will be joining the club in next year’s training camp. His offense remains a work in progress, however, his efficiency in the defensive zone has taken positive strides this year. With the club’s blueline at a logjam, his opportunity may not come for a few seasons, if at all, but he continues to hold bottom pairing upside. Owners should consider him a long-term investment. Dave Hall

December 2019 – Berni will be heading to the Czech Republic to suit up for the Swiss national team in this year’s WJC. This will be the 19-year-old’s third go in the tournament and should eat up minutes on one of the team’s top two units. The 2018 draft-pick sits with just eight points (4G + 4A) through 27 NLA (ZSC Lions) games this season but continues to make strides in his defensive game. He’s yet to ink a deal with Columbus so until that happens, his future in fantasy leagues remains uncertain.   Dave Hall

 

November 2019 – Playing in his second full season with the ZSC Lions (NLA), Berni’s game continues to develop. The 19-year-old has already matched his point totals from last season with four goals and four assists. These numbers are a promising sign as it has taken 22 fewer games to do so. The Swiss d-man has yet to sign a deal with the Blue Jackets organization so his fantasy value stays at bay. However, the organization should be content with his growth so far. Dave Hall

 

June 2019 – Last year, Berni scored eight points in 41 regular-season games for ZSC Lions of the NLA. The 19-year-old is gaining valuable experience by playing in the Swiss League but needs much more development. If he wants to remain with Columbus, he will need to sign an entry-level contract. Until that happens, the Swiss defender has no fantasy value. Frank Pellegrini

 

March 2019 – Berni climbed up the NHL Central Scouting ranks last year from 93rd at midterm to 62nd by year end. That ascension prompted the Blue Jackets to trade up into the top of the sixth round to select him. He has good hockey sense which allows him to move the puck well and run a powerplay. He is an average skater and will need to improve on that if he wants to play in North America. Having captained Switzerland’s U16 and U18 teams, Berni has developed solid leadership skills. Columbus has developed a deep defense core so the path for Berni to the NHL could be a long and challenging one. He will have to improve his skating and provide solid offensive production in the AHL . Best case scenario is that Berni earns a reegular role on the Blue Jackets in three years and produces 20 points annually. Worst case scenario, he becomes an AHL mainstay. As a result, his fantasy value is limited and reserved for dynasty leagues only. Frank Pellegrini

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 4.5
NHL Certainty 5.5
Country SUI
Position D
Roster Type Junior
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth February 11, 2000
Height 6‘0”
Weight 183 lbs
Drafted 2018 Round 6; Overall: 159

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2010-2011 EHC Dübendorf III U15 Mini B2 3 36 0|        
  EHC Dübendorf II U15 U15-Top1 0 11 0|        
 2011-2012 EHC Dübendorf II U15 U15-Top11 3 58 2|        
  ZSC LionsQC Int PW6 0 11 0|        
 2012-2013 EHC Dübendorf U15U15-Elit16 2 79 4|Playoffs QC2 0 22
  EHC Dübendorf II U15 U15-Top1 1 34 0|        
  ZSC LionsQC Int PW3 0 00 0|        
 2013-2014 EHC Dübendorf II U15 U15-Top5 5 813 0|        
  EHC Dübendorf U15U15-Elit27 4 1115 4|Playoffs QC1 1 01
  EHC Dübendorf U17U17-A11 3 47 0|Qualification1 0 00
 2014-2015 EHC Dübendorf U15U15-Elit29 12 2739 16|Playoffs QC2 0 11
  EHC Dübendorf U17U17-Top12 1 34 2|        
 2015-2016 ZSC Lions U17U17-Elit41 4 1418 10|Playoffs10 1 12
  Switzerland U16 (all)International-Jr12 1 12 2|        
 2016-2017 GCK Lions U20U20-Elit41 4 1216 18|Playoffs12 0 33 20 
  Switzerland U17 (all)International-Jr9 1 23 0|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-185 0 00 2|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr17 0 55 8|        
 2017-2018 GCK Lions U20U20-Elit1 0 11 0|Playoffs1 0 11
  GC Küsnacht LionsSL36 5 1015 41|        
  ZSC LionsNL8 0 00 0|Playoffs15 0 00
  ZSC LionsSwiss Cup1 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 0 00 2|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr7 0 22 2|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-205 0 00 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr10 1 12 4|        
 2018-2019 GCK Lions U20U20-Elit0 0 00 0|Playoffs1 0 00
  GC Küsnacht LionsSL3 1 01 0|        
  ZSC LionsNL41 1 78 8|Relegation6 0 11
  ZSC LionsChampions HL6 1 12 0|        
  ZSC LionsSwiss Cup2 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-207 0 22 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr12 1 23 4|        
  Switzerland (all)International2 1 12 0|        
 2019-2020 ZSC LionsNL45 4 711 8|        
  ZSC LionsSwiss Cup1 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-205 0 33 4|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr12 1 45 6|        
 2020-2021 ZSC LionsNL52 4 37 20|Playoffs9 1 23
  ZSC LionsSwiss Cup5 1 01 2|        
 2021-2022 Cleveland MonstersAHL72 3 1215 44|        
 2022-2023 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL59 1 23 34|        
  Cleveland MonstersAHL17 1 34 12|        
  Switzerland EHT3 0 11 2|        
  Switzerland (all)International3 0 11 2|        
 2023-2024 Genève-Servette HCNL41 4 913 16|Playoffs2 0 11
  Genève-Servette HCChampions HL8 2 35 2|        
  Switzerland EHT5 0 11 0|        
  Switzerland (all)International8 0 11 6|        
 2024-2025 Genève-Servette HCNL16 2 02 8|        
  Genève-Servette HCChampions HL7 0 22 2|        
  Switzerland EHT3 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland (all)International3 0 00 0|        

Highlights