Early Jordan Binnington destinations before 2026 NHL Trade Deadline

The St. Louis Blues are not in a good place right now. St. Louis has fallen well behind the eight ball after making the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues are sixth in the Central Division and are watching their playoff hopes fade with each passing game. As a result, veteran players such as Jordan Binnginton are starting to appear on the trade block.

Binnington has had a rollercoaster of a career to this point. He had one of the biggest rises in modern history, winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. His performance that season was a vital component to St. Louis going from bottom of the league in January to Cup champions that June.

However, the veteran netminder has not matched that level of success since. He has finished with a .910+ save percentage three times since winning it all. But he has also had some rough seasons, including this year, as he currently sports an .871 save percentage.

The Blues are going to shop Binnington around the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. They will likely not shop him for the player he is right now, though. St. Louis will attempt to sell teams on the player he can be in the right situation.

With teams searching for goaltending across the league, there may be a team willing to pay up to acquire his services. Let’s take a look at two potential teams that could take a chance on Jordan Binnington.

Blues, Hurricanes could strike deal

The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the NHL at this time. They are currently in a three-way tie for first in the Eastern Conference along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. They are certainly not afraid of a big move, and they have a clear need: goaltending.

Brandon Bussi has had a promising rookie season, but only owns a .905 save percentage. Behind him, though, the options are not inspiring. Frederik Andersen has an abysmal .863 save percentage through 19 games. Pyotr Kochetkov had an .899 save percentage, but he’s out for the season with an injury.

The Hurricanes have the cap space to take Binnington’s salary cap. If St. Louis is willing to retain salary, the risk becomes even more appealing. Carolina could give the veteran Stanley Cup champion a chance to rediscover his form in Raleigh down the stretch.

Canadiens could take flier on Jordan Binnington

The Montreal Canadiens aren’t too far off the likes of the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Red Wings. They are on the inside track to returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, like Carolina, they have a major need for goaltending.

The Canadiens entered the season believing Sam Montembeault was their No. 1 option. However, he was demoted to the AHL at one point, and has an .874 save percentage at this time. Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler have been better, but they are right around league average.

Binnginton has shown the ability to come up in big moments. Slotting him into this team could help him regain his form as the playoffs approach. His Stanley Cup experience could also be of use to a team that is inexperienced in the postseason.

The Canadiens and Blues would need to make this work financially, as Montreal has little space to work with. If they can make something work, then Montreal could be an ideal landing spot for the veteran netminder. It’s the sort of low-risk move the Canadiens could benefit massively from in a few months.

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