The St. Louis Blues have made a permanent goalie switch, leaving a Stanley Cup-winning goalie riding the bench most nights.
Not even nine months ago, Jordan Binnington was Canada’s starting goalie at the Olympics.
Now? He’s been relegated to backup duty on a below-average NHL team.
However, Binnington does have pedigree. His future with the St. Louis Blues is suddenly worth watching, with one of hockey’s most respected insiders reporting growing trade speculation surrounding the veteran netminder.
Friedman dishes on Blues’ Binnington as a trade target
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed during Saturday’s Headlines segment that he’s “starting to hear some noise” about Binnington potentially being available on the trade market.
It’s an interesting development for the 33-year-old, who has been a fixture in St. Louis since taking over the starting job during the 2018-19 season.
However, Joel Hofer has drastically outplayed Binnington, which has been the case since last season.
Hofer has a 6-5-1 record with a .919 save percentage this season. Binnington is 1-3-1 with an .851 save percentage in net.
Since the beginning of last season, Binnington’s .871 save percentage is the second-worst mark among regular NHL goaltenders. Only Kevin Lankinen’s .866 save percentage is worse.
Binnington is playing out the final season of a six-year, $36-million contract, carrying a $6-million salary cap hit. He also possesses a 10-team no-trade list.
With the Blues potentially facing a decision about their goaltending future, could a trade be in the cards?
Could Binnington’s Stanley Cup pedigree attract NHL contenders?
There are certainly reasons why another NHL team might be interested in taking a chance on Binnington.
His recent numbers aren’t encouraging, but his resume is considerably more impressive.
Binnington was instrumental in helping the Blues capture their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in 2019, taking over as the starter midway through that season and delivering a remarkable postseason performance.
He’s since established himself as one of the more experienced goaltenders in the league, recording 187 wins and a .903 save percentage across 382 regular-season appearances.
Binnington has also continued to represent Canada on the international stage, starting for the country at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
That experience could be attractive to a contender looking for an upgrade in net, particularly with the goaltending trade market offering relatively few established alternatives.
In fact, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently ranked Binnington 15th on his NHL trade board. Binnington and Sam Montembeault were the only two goalies on the 25-player list.
For now, there is no confirmed trade offer, reported destination, or indication that a deal is imminent. Friedman’s comments simply suggest that Binnington’s name is beginning to circulate again.
But with Hofer seemingly taking control of the crease and Binnington approaching unrestricted free agency, this is a situation worth monitoring.
A former Stanley Cup-winning goaltender with extensive NHL and international experience could become one of the more intriguing names available as the trade deadline approaches.
Two teams to keep an eye on could be the Florida Panthers and Utah Mammoth. Both are playoff-calibre squads that rank bottom-10 in terms of combined save percentage this season.
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