St. Louis Blues Ville Husso Sent To AHL Affiliate

In a slightly surprising turn of events, the St. Louis Blues assigned their goaltending prospect, Ville Husso, to the Chicago Wolves. With two other guys penciled in there, what does it mean for the goaltanding situation?

We all expected the St. Louis Blues to assign Ville Husso to the minor leagues. It was always a matter of where.

The Blues announced they have assigned him to the Chicago Wolves. That creates an interesting log jam in net with their AHL affiliate.

The Blues now have Husso, Pheonix Copley and Jordan Binnington all under contract. All three of them are expected to play in the AHL.

It is not unheard of for there to be more than two goaltenders on a roster. It just is not that ideal, especially for a team trying to get a handle on who is ready to make a jump.

On the bright side, this seems to show confidence in Husso. The Blues do not have a true ECHL affiliate, but they have a working partnership with the Missouri Mavericks and could have sent Husso there.

Instead, Husso seems to be thought of highly enough to be placed one step from the NHL right away. Many people do project him as the goaltender of the future – possibly someone to jump over Jake Allen eventually.

Goaltenders don’t usually need as much of a switch playing from Europe to North America. The position has more to do with angles and positioning than getting used to a different style.

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Still, it will be good to let Husso play in a more North American style before dipping a toe in the NHL. From his growth stand point, it will also give the Blues a better barometer of where he stands playing against guys that close to the big time.

The question it raises is what becomes of Binnington and Copley? There are several answers, but none are concrete.

The Blues could look to trade one of them. Whether simply to avoid the headache of finding playing time for three goaltenders or to actually acquire a piece, such as a draft pick, it mike make sense to send someone out.

St. Louis, or the Wolves rather, could also keep all three. It would be tougher to ride the hot hand, with two other guys nipping at their heels, but it could be done.

The question there would be how to work it. Do you just see how things play out or do you have almost a rotation similar to baseball? That’s on Craig Berube and Blues’ brass to figure out.

A trade seems to make the most sense, but given the Blues history with injury, perhaps it would not be the most prudent choice. The team might want that extra insurance as well as have another year to make some decisions.

Both Binnington and Copley are restricted free agents in the summer of 2017. Both are also getting to the age where they need to make their move.

Sep 22, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington (30) makes a save against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Binnington is 23 and Copley is 24. That is not old, but if you haven’t earned a shot in the NHL by then either, then perhaps it just is not going to happen.

It’s not a decision to make lightly. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Binnington has more experience with his teammates. He’s also had a bit more success in the playoffs in his career.

Copley has been slightly better in goals against the last two years. He also just has that air of calm and composure.

If it was up to me (thankfully it is not), I would attempt a deal. Husso needs to play and the team needs to know what they have in one or the other of the two. Juggling three guys just seems to take too much away from the others.

Next: Vladimir Sobotka Forced To Stay In Russia

Normally preseason games are pretty pointless. With the decision to put Husso in the AHL, this preseason may take on a very significant meaning for those two guys.

Each performance could mean the difference between staying and going elsewhere.

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