Jordan Binnington trade makes more sense in the summer
One of the top trade targets in the NHL might be better suited to change addresses in the offseason.
Coming out of another great performance on the international stage, there has been speculation that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington might be moved to a playoff contender. The Blues are in the midst of a terrible season, with Binnington having his share of struggles in the first half of the season. However, his ability to show up in big moments could make him an intriguing piece to potential suitors.
The 32-year-old has one more year left on his six-year contract, with a $6 million cap hit. Binnington has a modified no-trade clause where he submits a 14-team no-trade list.
On Thursday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, David Pagnotta joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to explain why Binnington being moved in the summer makes more sense.
David Pagnotta: I don’t think the goaltending market is overly aggressive right now at the moment. I think St. Louis is willing to listen. Look, they also like Binnington. They also like Hofer. Hofer’s younger, so they’re probably going to go in that direction. Both guys have another year. … I just don’t know if maximizing a return for a guy like Jordan Binnington with everything he’s capable and has proven at the elite level in the Stanley Cup Final, in the 4Nations, in the Olympics, I don’t know if making that move makes sense right now.
Another team could turn around and say, ‘Yeah, we want to give you X, Y, and Z and blow this out of the water, then obviously Doug Armstrong and Alex Steen will consider it. I think this might be something more geared towards the summer. The Blues have a ton of guys available. They’re listening on a number of players. They made a few minor deals before the freeze, after the freeze. They’re still engaged in a number of discussions involving a bunch of their other guys. I just don’t know how high up the flagpole Binnington is at the moment in terms of their urgency to move him, just because I don’t think the goaltending market is too deep right now. A lot of teams, barring injury over the next week, are pretty much set with their main guy.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…