- Elliotte Friedman says Jordan Binnington is getting trade noise around the league
- The Blues goalie is in the final year of his deal and has barely played
- Read below for what Friedman said about the Oilers and Rangers
Jordan Binnington is starting to show up on the trade market. Elliotte Friedman said Monday on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Blues goalie is generating some interest, and that St. Louis hasn’t been negotiating with him on a new contract.
Friedman explained why that matters for Binnington himself.
“He’s not playing a lot. When you’re in this position, it hurts your chances for your best possible deal next year, right? And from what I’ve heard, there hasn’t been a lot of negotiation, if any, so far.”
Watch Friedman’s podcast post from Monday morning:
Binnington is in the last season of a six-year, $36 million contract that carries a $6 million cap hit. He has played just five games this season, with one win, a .851 save percentage and a 4.27 goals-against average. Joel Hofer has taken over the net and sits at .919.
Friedman was asked about Edmonton, since Binnington has been tied to the Oilers. He doesn’t see it happening right now.
“I don’t think right now Edmonton is looking at that. With the way (Devon) Levi has played this year, he won again on Saturday night, and (Tristan) Jarry has been pretty good so far this season. I don’t know that Edmonton’s rushing to make that move, but we’ll see.”
Levi is 7-1-0 for the Oilers. Jarry is 4-1-0. Frederik Andersen is also working his way back from injury, so Edmonton has plenty of options in the crease already.
The Rangers look like the better fit. They lost Igor Shesterkin, have already used five goalies this season and terminated James Reimer’s contract. Joonas Korpisalo and Dylan Garand are carrying the load.
Goalie trades have been the big topic lately. Connor Hellebuyck is already off the board in New Jersey, and he explained his trade request in a letter to Jets fans last week. That leaves Binnington as the top goalie available for any team that needs help.
Binnington is 33 and still carries a big-game reputation from his 2019 Stanley Cup run and his starts for Team Canada. The Blues are retooling, and his name is out there now.
