The St. Louis Blues have known since early on in the season that they will need to enter sell mode. For the Blues, they have plenty of pieces that can generate huge returns and help build towards their future, such as Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn. Another option may be Jordan Binnington.
It's been a rollercoaster tenure for Binnington, highlighted by as he played a huge role in the Blues winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 as a rookie. But since then, he's had hot and cold seasons. This year has been easily his worst, as he has a 8-17-6 record, a .864 save percentage, and a 3.65 goals allowed average in 32 games. Could Binnington be on the move for his replacement?
The Athletic's Chris Johnston and James Mirtle recently played trade deadline matchmaker for some of the top players on the block (subscription required). One potential player that could be dealt is Minnesota Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt, whom the team is floating to get a scoring forward. Mirtle suggests the Blues as a fit, where they could potentially send over Thomas and Binnington in an effort to land Wallstedt.
Blues suggested as potential trade landing spot for Wild's Jesper Wallstedt
"Goaltending has been one of the biggest issues for the Blues this season, and it may well finally be time to turn the page on Jordan Binnington seven years after his Cup-winning heroics," writes Mirtle.
"Could a package that includes Brayden Schenn (or Robert Thomas) and Binnington entice the Wild to move their goalie of the future, plus other assets, to go really big on the present? If so, this could be a deal that makes sense for these two Central rivals at different ends of the standings."
With goaltending a bit shaky for the Blues, which can be attributed to the lackluster defense in front, why not secure their goaltender of the future. Sure, it will sting for the Blues to move on from the franchise's all-time leader in wins. But given the team obviously entering sell mode, getting a goalie of the caliber of Wallstedt could be too hard for them to pass up on.
Wallstedt was the talk of the NHL early on this season. In November, Wallstedt posted a ridiculous 1.14 goals allowed average and a .967 save percentage after going 6-0-0 through six games. Three of those seven starts were shutouts. December may not have reached November levels, but Wallstedt was still playing great, putting up a 4-2-1 record, a 2.58 goals allowed average, and a .916 save percentage.
But in January, Wallstedt's numbers went in the wrong direction. In seven games, Wallstedt had a 3.95 goals allowed average and a .883 save percentage all while posting a 3-3-1 record. It was truly a far cry from how Wallstedt played in the previous two months.
Despite the strong start to the season, the Wild are looking to make a run at their first Stanley Cup. They showed how all-in they were in accomplishing this after acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in a blockbuster. Now, they are looking for more scoring help, which makes sense considering they will have to get past the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars to make it to the Western Conference Finals, and both are offensive juggernauts. Getting a player like Thomas or Schenn could be the move, especially with Panarin off the board.
If the Blues are looking to pry away one of their top rivals' young goaltenders, Mirtle suggests that Binnington along with one of Thomas or Schenn could ensure they get Wallstedt.