Blues Should Strike on Binnington Deal in Desperate Goalie Market

Binnington will always be associated with his rookie season when he rose from obscurity to become a Stanley Cup Champion. He is a St. Louis Blues legend. But right now, the team is not in a position where paying a goaltender $6 million a season makes sense. Coming off a great season, it makes sense to try and move him this summer, especially considering the options the Blues have to replace him.

Hofer Needs Playing Time

Overshadowed only slightly by Binnington’s resurgence rookie goaltender Joel Hofer had a stellar season as well. In fact, the pair was one of the best tandems in the NHL this season. Hofer had 27 starts and carried a .913 SV% and 2.65 GAA with 8.2 GSAA. Hofer will be 24 entering next season, and will need to start more games to continue to blossom into an NHL starter.

If the Blues capitalize on Binnington’s hot season and trade him, there will be plenty of affordable, veteran options to spell Hofer and provide them with 82 games of quality starts. Anthony Stolarz has been fantastic with the Florida Panthers this season but might command a higher price. But other veterans, like Cam Talbot, David Rittich, Casey DeSmith, and even Ilya Samsonov could offer the Blues experience and plenty of games.

With a tandem of Hofer and any of these veterans, the Blues can allow their young goalie to play more games, while still protecting him from overexposure, all with results that ought to be fine for a team clearly in the middle of a rebuild. And they can keep cap commitments down for the long term — removing Binnington’s contract from the books. But if they are going to do that, they have to find a trade partner. Who could be interested?

Possible Trade Partners for Binnington

With the first round of the playoffs wrapped up, it is clear that several teams desperately need a competitive goaltender. Binnington has his warts, but he had a fantastic season, and a Stanley Cup pedigree. He will be very appealing to several teams desperate to win. Here are a few of the obvious contenders.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils entered last season with tons of expectations and finished near the bottom of the barrel, with just 81 points, far from the playoff picture. A lot of that has to do with injuries. But plenty of it had to do with their goaltending. Between five goaltenders, they managed only a combined .896 SV% and 3.12 GAA. Just 43.9% of their teams’ starts were “quality,” and they lost minus-19 GSAA in the process. They finished the season with two different goaltenders than they began it with: Jake Allen and Kaapo Kähkönen.

The Devils have to find a goaltending upgrade this summer. And with limited options, a former Stanley Cup winner like Binnington will be an appealing option. The Devils have plenty of picks and some decent prospects that could make the deal possible. And Binnington would almost certainly waive his no-trade clause (NTC) for a contender like the Devils, as he would for the next two teams we’ll discuss.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Perhaps the most-discussed playoff exit of the last week was the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were forced to turn to Samsonov after St. Louis native Joseph Woll went down with an injury. Woll might be the future of the Maple Leafs, but his health concerns will mean the Maple Leafs have to look at other options as well. Binnington might be too expensive for their current roster construction, but with the offseason shakeup most expect, that might change. Could Binnington be part of one of those major, franchise-changing trades? He would certainly improve the goaltending and shift the locker room culture. And a chance to change the fortunes of his hometown team would have to be appealing.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings had a tough series against the Edmonton Oilers, but goaltending was not the issue. However, they got through the season by cobbling together goaltending from Talbot, Rittich, and Pheonix Copley. It worked for them this season, but it isn’t a long-term solution. Clearly, the Kings were deep in the Connor Hellebuyck sweepstakes before he re-signed with the Winnipeg Jets. Now, they need an alternative. Could Binnington be the answer?

The Kings have good prospects and most of their picks, and are a competitive team in a high-profile market. They should be appealing to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong and Binnington alike. And the Kings have to find a serious goalie solution this summer. Desperate times might create the perfect circumstances for the Blues to take advantage.

Strike While the Iron Is Hot

The Blues have to live into reality and recognize that they have a few seasons before they are competitive again. In that time, should they be paying a good goaltender $6 million a season to scrape for a wild card spot? Or should the capitalize on his hot season and a desperate goaltender market, and make a trade with one of these teams (or another not on the list)? Armstrong has never been afraid to make a big slash in the past. The 2024 offseason should not be any different.