The start of the 2026 NHL offseason is off to an absolute wild start, and according to reports, it's expected to get even wilder.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, if St. Louis Blues' goalie Jordan Binnington were made available, there are going to be teams that are interested. Now, on the recent episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast, he specifically mentions the Toronto Maple Leafs. But there have been rumors linking Binnington to the Florida Panthers. And although the speculation isn't as loud, the Edmonton Oilers do make sense as a potential trade destination.
Mock Trade #1: Toronto Maple Leafs
First up, the Maple Leafs, who very well could emerge as the frontrunner, given their push to try and make the team competitive again as quickly as possible. They do have the cap space to take on the entire $6 million cap hit on Binnington. Unfortunately, they don't have a ton of assets to give up after the Brady Tkachuk trade. That said, depending on the asking price, they could find a way to make it work.
This is a trade that could make sense for both teams. It does include the Blues taking back Brandon Carlo, who is a very serviceable NHL defenseman. One that they could easily flip again this offseason to a team like the Anaheim Ducks. This could allow them to expand the trade tree and bring in even more assets or draft capital. The Blues would also get the RFA rights to Nicholas Robertson, who could fit in well within their top-six, as well as two draft picks.
Mock Trade #2: Florida Panthers
Next up, the Panthers, who just landed Brady Tkachuk in a blockbuster trade with the Ottawa Senators. Are now looking to lock down their crease after reports suggest that Sergei Bobrovsky is heading for the open market. Now, Bill Zito didn't want to part with a roster player, which makes acquiring Binnington very difficult. Plus, they parted with a ton of future draft capital to get Tkachuk. Nevertheless, Zito always seems to find a way.
On paper, this may not look as much as the Maple Leafs had to give up. But it is. This trade just has more future assets. Some may actually argue that the trade package has more in it for the Blues, and the reasoning behind that is that it would be doing more for the Panthers right now than the Maple Leafs deal. So, naturally, the asking price for the Panthers should be a bit higher, and since they don't want to part with a roster player, it will have to consist of four draft picks, a forward prospect in Devine, and the RFA rights to Sebrango, which gives them a young blue liner with NHL experience.
Mock Trade #3: Edmonton Oilers
Lastly, the Oilers, who much like the Panthers, don't have any real top-flight goaltending candidates on their roster as of right now. Which is why Binnington could be the perfect answer for them. The only concern would be the cap space. However, there is a way to work around that, which could include Tristan Jarry.
This trade may be the most fascinating of them all. It is also the first one that includes a first-round pick, and the only reason for that is that the Blues would be agreeing to take on Jarry, and that could potentially even be at, say, 15% retained, but that might hurt the return to the Blues. It would also include Clattenburg, who has the potential to be a good middle-six forward, which could be a good depth add for a young, retooling Blues team.
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