Through 19 games this season, the St. Louis Blues have a mediocre 9-8-2 record and 20 points in the standings. That puts them seventh in the Central Division, and while they are within striking distance of a playoff berth, their play on the ice doesn't inspire much confidence they can close the gap.
As with any team in the Blues' position, it's never too early to start speculating which players will be traded by the March deadline. The Blues have a couple options, but one stands above the rest: Jordan Binnington.
Binnington's last ride
The 33-year old netminder's done just about everything one would hope to accomplish as an NHL player: winning a Stanley Cup probably tops everything, but competing in the Winter Olympics last year has to be up there. Since the start of last season, however, Binnington's play has dropped considerably. Add in that he's in the final year of his $6-million AAV contract (which carries a 10-team No-Trade Clause), and it's easy to envision him wearing another sweater as early as this season.
Why would another team be willing to pay for a diminished Binnington? Legacy, of course. Around the NHL, Binnington's still regarded as a sort of "big game" goalie, and teams in Cup-or-bust mode may come calling for the veteran's assistance. Binnington himself could probably use a fresh start now that Joel Hofer has established himself as the Blues' unequivocal starting goalie. Pending unrestricted free agents are always trade deadline bait, and Binnington's likely to be the best goaltender available all season.
The wildcard options
While Binnington's the obvious trade candidate, there are a couple of dark horses as well. Dalibor Dvorsky seems to have plateaued a bit, and is on the outs with the coaching staff--he's got only five points in 18 games and is averaging a meager 11:48 per night. He's still just 21 years old, so there's likely more development to be had, but the Blues could dangle Dvorsky for more immediate help in the lineup. Of the Blues' restricted free agents, Dvorsky feels the most likely to move--Logan Mailloux, Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours are more important to the lineup, and Jonatan Berggren and Justin Barron don't have as much cache around the league.
The Blues could also move on from one of their other pending UFAs before trading Binnington: Brandon Carlo's likely a one-and-done addition, and Pius Suter continues to prove to be a valuable middle-six contributor. Those two, however, do not have the track record or peaks that Binnington has had in his career; if they're traded, it's likely much closer to the deadline, rather than the middle of the season when a Cup contender gets desperate for goaltending.
If the losing continues, truly anyone on the roster should be available for the right price--it just feels like Binnington would be the first domino to fall.
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