Jordan Binnington has a big task ahead of him. Tonight, he'll be between the pipes as Team Canada will take on Team Sweden to start the Four Nations Faceoff tournament. Blues fans should really take the time to watch Binnington during this tournament, because it has the potential to tell them a lot about how the rest of the season will unfold.
The Blues season might be beyond repair even if Binnington shines
Even if Binnington shines during this tournament and that somehow carries over to when play resumes, is it really going to make a difference? I don't think so. The Blues are eight points out of a playoff spot in the Wild Card and are even more buried in the division. This thing sort of feels like it's done.
As Blues fans, we can root for Team Canada and hope that Binnington and Parayko have great tournaments. But nothing that they do in this tournament can give Blues fans any positivity for the rest of this season, in my opinion.
If Binnington struggles, should the Blues look to give Joel Hofer an extended run?
The Blues aren't getting rid of Jordan Binnington, so any speculation about that needs to be put to rest. So, what would be the harm in seeing what Joel Hofer would look like by giving him a majority of starts down the stretch?
Joel Hofer has allowed the same number of goals as Binnington this season, just with a higher save percentage. While he's appeared in fewer games, most Blues fans would probably say they've felt more confident about the team's ability to win when Hofer is in the net than Binnington.
It would be nice to see a 60/40 split with the goaltending after play resumes, 60% of Hofer and 40% of Binnington. It's clear Hofer is Binnington's successor, so if he runs with this opportunity the Blues should try and lock him up via an extension.
The Blues have an upcoming youth movement, so they should embrace it
The Blues have Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and many more prospects on the way. They also have Colton Ellis who is having a fantastic season with Springfield down in the AHL. Would it be crazy to explore a trade for Binnington in the offseason and see what a Hofer/Ellis tandem could look like next year? That could be really fun.
It all depends on Binnington's tournament performance. But Blues fans shouldn't have as much confidence in him as in years past. He's allowed goals in bunches this year.