Jordan Binnington can’t stop the Blues from trading him before NHL trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Many veteran players have no-move clauses in their contract which greatly complicate things before the NHL trade deadline.
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St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington has less than that, and it will make things at least a bit smoother before Friday’s deadline.
Binnington has a 14-team no-trade list, meaning there are 14 predetermined teams he’d have to approve of before being dealt there.
That leaves more than half the NHL as a potential landing spot, though.
The only question now is whether the Blues want to trade Binnington. If they do, it seems like they’ll be able to make it happen.
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Other teams certainly would be intrigued by Binnington given his tendency to perform well in big games, particularly in that 2019 Stanley Cup run but also in recent years for Team Canada.
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“Binnington burnished his reputation as a big-game goalie for Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics, delivering a strong performance for the silver medalists despite arriving at the tournament with some of the worst numbers among NHL starters,” The Athletic’s Chris Johnston wrote as part of his new trade board on Monday. “That had to catch the eye of competitive teams looking for an upgrade in goal. The trade market is thin on viable options at the position. Binnington’s contract includes a 14-team no-trade clause and runs through the end of next season.”
Binnington has a cap hit of $6 million, so he’s not cheap, but it’s also a warranted price if he does come through in some key games.
His contract running through next season is probably a plus for an acquiring team, which knows it would get Binnington for two playoff runs instead of one.
It’ll just be a matter of the Blues choosing whether they really want to give up on their long-time starting goalie or not. But if they decide to, Binnington’s limited no-trade list won’t stop the Blues from getting something done.
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