The St. Louis Blues could become one of the most active teams this offseason. In addition to having three first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Blues have a couple of pieces that have drawn interest around the league.
One of the names floating around has been Jordan Kyrou. But there’s another name that should gain more momentum in the coming days: Jordan Binnington.
Yes, Binnington trade talk has become an unofficial hobby among Blues fans. But the recent trade involving Brady Tkachuk could add an interesting twist to this discussion.
In particular, the Florida Panthers spent a pretty penny to land the Ottawa Senators' former captain. And in doing so, have pretty much punted on the possibility of bringing back Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky.
That situation has prompted speculation about the Panthers looking into the possibility of another goalie like Binnington. The most attractive part of Binnington is his cap hit. Binnington is in the final year of his current deal, carrying a $6 million cap hit.
That’s what makes Binnington so enticing to the Panthers. The 32-year-old is a proven winner, and, despite a down year in 2025-26, Florida could see the value in bringing him in.
However, that’s easier said than done.
Panthers may not have dry powder to get deal done with Blues
As stated earlier, the Panthers paid a hefty price to get Tkachuk. That price included three first-round picks. Plus, Florida jettisoned its best young player in a separate trade just to get another first-rounder to close the deal with the Senators.
That’s why Florida just might not have the piece to get a deal done. Unless the Panthers are willing to trade an unexpected piece (Anton Lundell?), there’s not much of a chance Florida can swing the price tag the Blues have set for Binnington.
While the Cats could trade this 2040 first-round pick, it’s not likely the Blues would want to swing a deal with futures that far into the distance. The Panthers do have two second-rounders in the 2026 NHL Draft, with other picks sprinkled over the next two drafts.
All told, the chatter surrounding Binnington and the Panthers should pick up in the coming days. But there doesn’t seem to be any indication that Florida has the means to pull off this deal. There could be something we’re not seeing, of course. But the fact is that the likelihood doesn’t seem overly convincing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google