Jordan Binnington’s shaky start has pushed the Blues into an uncomfortable spot, and there’s no easy way around it. After St.
Louis dropped a 5-2 decision to the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, the concern around the crease only grew louder. Binnington is now 1-2 on the season with a 4.68 goals-against average and an .831 save percentage, numbers that make it hard for the Blues to keep leaning on him for a significant share of the schedule.
That’s where the tension comes in. Blues fans know exactly what Binnington means to the franchise.
He backstopped the team to its first Stanley Cup in 2019 and will be remembered as the best goaltender in team history. But the last few seasons have not matched that peak.
He lost the starter’s net to Joel Hofer, and he hasn’t finished above an .880 save percentage in either of the past two seasons.
The goaltending plan the Blues entered the year with was built around balance. General Manager Alexander Steen and head coach Jim Montgomery expected Hofer to take on the heavier load, with a target of 50 to 55 games, while Binnington would handle the rest and keep the tandem in a workable split.
Hofer has done his part so far, posting a 2.43 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in five starts. Binnington, meanwhile, ranks fifth-worst among qualified goalies with a -5.0 goals saved above expected.
None of this sits entirely on Binnington. The team in front of both goalies has not been sharp.
The power play has been almost nonexistent, with only four goals and a steady stream of shorthanded chances against. St.
Louis also hasn’t shown the physical edge it was supposed to bring this season. Still, the chances Binnington has allowed have been there to save, including several soft, fluttering plays he was in position to stop.
That’s why the trade conversation keeps coming back. Binnington has only this season left on his contract before reaching free agency, and the Blues now have a younger option in Hofer. Several teams have reportedly shown interest in him over the past few seasons, and the argument for moving him now is straightforward: do it before his value slips even further.
The problem is what comes next. If St.
Louis does move Binnington, there isn’t an obvious NHL-ready answer behind the current tandem. After the Buffalo Sabres claimed Colten Ellis off waivers last season, Georgi Romanov is next in the organizational chain.
Romanov is starting for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the American Hockey League and has 10 career NHL games with the San Jose Sharks in 2024.
A deal would also need the right partner. The New York Rangers are one club that fits the description after losing franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin and being without backup Joonas Korpisalo for another month. Binnington’s expiring contract would not block Shesterkin’s long-term place in goal, and the Rangers could try to take advantage of their fast start.
For the Blues, that’s the kind of situation they would have to find: a team with real goaltending trouble and enough urgency to make a move. The longer Binnington struggles, the less St.
Louis can expect in return. And if the Blues are serious about dealing him, Steen and the front office will have to accept that the league does not value Binnington the way they do.
In Other News...
Blues Loss Exposed Two Problems Fans Are Tired Of
The Blues latest trip through Nashville offered a familiar mix of hope and frustration, with a 5-2 loss that once again put their special teams under the microscope. Jimmy Snuggerud provided one bright spot by converting on the power play, giving St. Louis a needed jolt in a game where chances were harder to come by and the Predators penalty kill did plenty of the heavy lifting.
St. Louis managed only one goal on five power-play opportunities, and the inability to cash in when the game tilted toward the man advantage loomed large throughout the night. In goal, Jordan Binnington was left facing too much traffic and too many clean looks, and the Blues never found enough answers to keep the game from slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Bring Back A Young Name As Roster Questions Suddenly Grow
Roster maneuvering picked up around the Blues again as they turned to a familiar young name for help up front. Otto Stenberg was recalled from AHL Springfield as the club adjusted its forward group and kept a full 23-player roster in place, a sign that the day-to-day shuffle can have a bigger ripple effect when a team is already managing its cap picture.
The move came with Ross Johnston going on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury, and he is expected to miss at least a week. With Johnston sidelined and the roster full, the Blues have had to thread the needle between immediate availability and longer-range financial flexibility, which is how the cap conversation has suddenly become part of the personnel discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Logan Mailloux Finally Gave Blues Fans A Reason For Hope
Logan Mailloux is only three weeks into an eight-week recovery from hand surgery, but the young defenseman gave Blues fans a small sign that the long road back is moving in the right direction. Before a recent team practice, he was spotted skating on his own, the first indication that he has gotten back on the ice since the preseason injury that landed him on injured reserve.
For a club waiting to see what kind of impact Mailloux can make once healthy, even a solo skate carries some weight. The Blues still have a stretch to go before he is ready to rejoin the lineup, and his rehab remains the priority, but the sight of him moving again offered a more encouraging update than the silence that followed his surgery. [Read more 🡒]