The Jordan Binnington trade speculation will not go away until the 32-year-old is either traded or extended beyond this season.
The former seems to be the likeliest outcome, as talk involving a potential move only seems to gain momentum.
One of the teams that might be in the market for Binnington could be the Carolina Hurricanes. Yes, the Canes got elite goaltending for most of the playoffs from Frederik Andersen. They were extremely fortunate to have Brandon Bussi come in and pick up the slack without missing a hitch.
But moving forward, the Canes might want to find more depth moving forward. Andersen is heading to free agency this summer, while Bussi will be entering the first year of a three-year extension. Meanwhile, there’s Pyotr Kochetkov, who will be coming off season-ending surgery. That’s why he’s far from a sure bet.
Binnington would be a solid target for the Canes, as they have already inquired about his availability. In a recent piece in The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun commented in passing about how Carolina kicked the tires on Binnington at the trade deadline, but ultimately passed.
“There was also a brief discussion about Jordan Binnington in St. Louis, but that never got anywhere either.”
So, could that mean the Canes might circle back to Binnington this summer?
On the surface, it’s a very real possibility. Even if the organization rolls with Bussi as the starter next year, they will need someone to someone who can easily gobble up 40+ starts. Binnington could easily do that.
The sticking point would most certainly be the asking price. That could very well be the reason why deadline talks never went very far. The Blues had a high price tag, and the Canes weren’t willing to pay for it.
That’s when they had Andersen, Bussi, and Kochetkov potentially coming back. Unless the Canes feel that they can re-sign Andersen, talk of trading for Binnington might not be a major issue.
Getting Binnington won’t come cheap for Carolina
If the Canes truly wanted to land Binnington, well, it won’t come cheap. One of the purported pieces everyone wanted at the deadline was Alexander Nikishin. It seemed that every trade discussion involving the Hurricanes included the 24-year-old blueliner.
Nikishin seems like he’s an untouchable now. The same goes for Jackson Blake, Logan Stankoven, and Joel Nystrom.
One interesting piece could be Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The former third-overall pick has pretty much been a bust. But a change of scenery could help the 25-year-old potentially find a place for himself at the NHL level.
Kotkaniemi has a $4.82 million cap hit for the next four seasons. If the Canes were willing to eat up a little bit of that, a deal involving Binnington and Kotkaniemi as the two main pieces might not look so far-fetched.
Of course, the Canes would have to throw a little something extra. But at least that could be a focal point of discussion.
Who knows, if the two sides pull off a deal before the 2026 NHL Draft, the Canes’ first-rounder could also be in play. It would likely be the 31st overall pick. But adding yet another first-rounder in this year’s draft could be something enticing for the Blues.
This deal might not go anywhere. But if and when the Hurricanes win this Cup this year, the pressure will be on to repeat. And that could lead the organization to look at deals they might have passed on before.
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