There was an old saying in football that the most popular guy in the stadium was the backup quarterback. St. Louis Blues fans took that and turned it up to 11 when it comes to modern goaltending.
The idea is that the backup QB is always popular because people think they just need to be given a chance and they'll shine and be better than the bum that's being trotted out there time after time. That is definitely true for Blues fans.
Ever since the tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott, and perhaps even earlier than that, Blues fans have been at war over their goaltender. Moose fans were up in arms when the team went with youth in Jake Allen. Snake fans were constantly defending him while the detractors were saying it should have gone to Ben Bishop or any of the others that came up afterwards.
Now, we have Jordan Binnington trying to fend off Joel Hofer. Bleedin' Blue's own Nestor Quixtan went so far as to ponder whether the Blues could send their Stanley Cup-winning goaltender packing if Hofer has another solid season.
While I agree with the ultimate conclusion, I'm tired of the question. Sports has always been a what have you done for me lately business, but when there were fans out there more than willing to trade Binnington the very season after they lifted the Cup, it boggles the mind.
Goaltending is an odd position where you have to rely on numbers, but cannot completely. It's not the same as a major league pitcher, where the numbers are almost the only thing you look at.
Goaltenders have a certain eye test and a results test too. Numbers can be deceiving.
If you go based purely on numbers, there is little doubt that Connor Hellebuyck is the best goaltender in the league at this moment. However, if you trust that guy in the playoffs and are not a diehard Winnipeg Jets fan, I question your line of thinking.
Conversely, it cannot be argued that Binnington's numbers don't always match up to the perceived upper echelon of netminders around the NHL. His save percentage is often pedestrian and sometimes low. His goals against average is more up and down than you'd like from an elite goaltender.
However, stats aren't always what they seem. They do tell a story, but you can twist them at times.
A few years ago, I wrote an article giving several key numbers that showed Jake Allen was on the same level as guys like Curtis Joseph. The numbers clearly bear that out, but even as big a fan as I was of Jake the Snake, I wouldn't take Allen over CuJo if we were having a fantasy draft.
Similarly, when it comes down to crunch time, I'm going with Binnington. The guy was the main reason the Blues won Game 7 against Boston and won that Stanley Cup.
I will still contend that the Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche in 2022 if they don't injure Binnington. Even if the Avs still win, the Blues were the only team that put a scare into them, and their goalie was a big reason.
Outside of the pandemic bubble, his only bad playoff series was in 2021. Outside of that, he's kept the Blues in just about every series because he shows up in the big moments.
When the team doesn't show up in front of him, Binnington has done his job. He's had single-game playoff save totals of 46, 51, and 43 just in the last few series.
The idea for Quixton's article came from a mailbag asking if Edmonton might try to find a team with a good duo and take one. You think Oilers fans would not give their left arm for a proven playoff goalie like Binnington?
Let us not forget that the hockey crazy country of Canada has put Binnington in charge of their medal hopes. I won't deny that the goalie depth north of the border is not what it used to be, but Binner was the only reason Canada won in overtime at the 4 Nations tournament, and he is likely to be the starter in the 2026 Olympics, too. I'd trust the leadership of Team Canada over your average fan.
If you need further proof, just look at the last few teams that tried to get ahead of the curve and go to the next guy. The Pittsburgh Penguins did have success with Matt Murray, but Marc-Andre Fleury was still on the team and came back to help the Pens win, too. When they fully handed the reins, Murray fell off, and then Tristan Jarry has been a mess since.
Vegas also tried to move on from Marc-Andre Fleury and went through several goaltenders before they finally won. Conversely, the Chicago Blackhawks could have looked for better players than Corey Crawford if they worried about only stats, but they knew they had a guy who would make the save when it counted and fit the team.
Really, the Nashville Predators are the only team that has seen pretty consistent success with each goalie transition. When you go from Chris Mason to Pekka Rinne to Juuse Saros, you're in rare air.
I'm not even saying Hofer might not be the guy. The reality is that we didn't know Binnington would become the all-time winningest goaltender in Blues history when he was made the starter in 2019.
However, Binnington didn't have a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender in front of him. Hofer does.
The worry is that if you let Hofer go at the end of his contract, which is in 2027, he might become the next Bishop, and the Blues lose out. Until we see a noticeable decline in Binner, I'd stick with the guy who shows up in the big games.
While there are plenty worried about missing out on the next big thing, I'm worried about being the Montreal Canadiens, who traded away their franchise best only to see him win two more championships elsewhere, and they haven't even been back to the Final since 1993. I'll stick with the guy who won the biggest game until the very end.