Earlier today, the Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Calvin Pickard on waivers, as there merrigoround of goaltenders continues. Coinciding with goaltending issues of their own, the St. Louis Blues are in unfamiliar territory with some lackluster effort in net this season.
Both Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have not been at their best, with an emphasis on Binnington being one of the worst years in his career. With that said, depending on what direction General Manager Doug Armstrong goes with the future, and more importantly, what Alexander Steen will inherit, Binnington is going to be at the center of whatever decision is made.
Should that ultimatum result in Binnington suiting up for another team by the Trade Deadline, it might be worth the Blues' time to give a go at Pickard. The journeyman has been on six teams in his 13-year career, with the last three being in Edmonton.
Let's talk about why it might be a good idea.
Pickard could be the bridge
The natural order of things has Hofer taking the torch from Binnington as the franchise's next starter. But what if Pickard could be the bridge between these two goaltenders, giving Hofer more time to grow?
This season has seen Hofer take a bit of a step back, and then a step forward at times. His readiness to hop right into the starter's role for the end of this season and the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign might be too soon.
Pickard is due for a new contract at the end of this season, but his current deal is only worth $1 million AAV. It is a valuable deal, especially if next season is a re-tooling year as well. There is no definitive plan in place, and that won't be known until after the deadline is over.
This should be a no-brainer, but only if the Blues brass is ready to part ways with Binnington right now. If not, there really wouldn't be a point to grabbing him.