It has been a rocky road over the last two seasons for former Stanley Cup champion goaltender Jordan Binnington. In the 2024-25 season, the St. Louis Blues made a late-season surge to find themselves in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, matched up with Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets. The series would go seven games, and Binnington would allow the game-tying goal with 1.6 seconds on the clock. After that, things began to go downhill for the Blues goaltender.
Binnington posted a GAA of 3.33 last season across 41 games and 39 starts. This season, he allowed six goals in his first start against the Colorado Avalanche. With Joel Hofer taking more and more time in net over the last two years, the clock might be ticking on the Blues' all-time wins record holder.
The New York Rangers took a brutal hit when their netminder, Igor Shesterkin, went down with a leg injury, and they'll find out he will miss the remainder of the season.
Justin Bonhard of Bleedin' Blue on FanSided marks the Rangers as the perfect spot for Binnington to get a new start.
Bonhard acknowledged that the Rangers have some internal options, but suggested that, with their hot start, sturdier goaltending is essential.
Cap navigation could be an issue in trading for Binnington. The Rangers could place Shesterkin on Long-Term Injured Reserve. This would save them the $11+ million in cap space, allowing them to take on Binnington's $6 million.
The Rangers are in a solid spot right now and could use a goaltender. The Blues' plan looks more like a 1A/1B scenario rather than a true starter and backup, which could make them skeptical of trading Binnington. If they did and made the move early this season, the Rangers look to be an early option in his trade market.
In the aftermath of a Binnington trade, Hofer would be thrust into a true starting role, rather than the fairly even net time shared between the two goalies.
Last season, due in part to Binnington's struggles, Hofer began to rack up more and more starts for St. Louis. He made 43 starts last season, to Binnington's 39. So far this season, Hofer has started three of the Blues' five games, and Binnington has been in two.
If Alexander Steen were to decide it was time to move on from his former teammate, Hofer would take over more of Binnington's leftover starts.
Bonhard mentions that the obvious pick to back up Hofer is Georgii Romanov, who is the starter for the Springfield Thunderbirds currently and would only be asked to be a normal backup instead of the roles that Binnington and Hofer shared.
Hofer is young and has been trending upwards during his career and can fill into the Blues' full-time starting position.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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