On Friday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils shocked the NHL by acquiring three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, reuniting him with their star forward Jack Hughes, the pair having recently won the Olympic Gold Medal together. Earlier in the offseason, the former Hart Trophy winner privately requested a trade before making his intentions public ahead of training camp.
According to rumors from top insiders, Hellebuyck had the Florida Panthers on his list of preferred destinations, but that deal never came to fruition. Instead, General Manager Bill Zito opted to bring in 36-year-old Jacob Markström, hoping the veteran can help the Panthers get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Through five appearances, the Swedish netminder is 3-1-1 with a save percentage below .900 and has already experienced two injury-related absences. First, he departed the Panthers game against the Buffalo Sabres after the first period, missing the team’s next two games.
Right now, Markström is back on the shelf for a minimum of 10-14 days after suffering an injury in practice. In his place, Akira Schmid has held down the fort, producing a 2-2-1 record with a 3.62 GAA and .867 SV%. Overall, Florida has yet to get the goaltending they expected when they brought in both netminders during the offseason.
Recently, we discussed the possibility of the Panthers calling Winnipeg again to see if they could work out a deal for Hellebuyck. But with the superstar goalie now off the block, the organization should pivot and check in on a Stanley Cup-winning goalie who is in desperate need of a change of scenery: Jordan Binnington.
Jordan Binnington could become expendable in St. Louis
As a rookie, Binnington helped the St. Louis Blues win their first and only Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in Game 7 at TD Garden. Although the Conn Smythe went to Ryan O’Reilly, the Blues goaltender was in the conversation after a stellar run that included a 16-10 record with a 2.46 GAA and a .914 SV%.
Since so many of Canada’s long-time goalies like Carey Price and Marc-Andre Fleury retired, Binnington ascended to the top of the country’s goalie chart, helping them win the recent 4 Nations Faceoff, defeating the United States in the Finale.
The tournament served as an audition for Team Canada's Olympic roster, and Binnington once again earned the starting role. In the Gold Medal game, he went toe-to-toe with Hellebuyck, who made his last save while Hughes tallied the game-winner in overtime.
Despite the international appearances, Binnington has been St. Louis’ go-to guy for most of the decade, helping the club reach the playoffs in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2025. In 380 regular season games, he’s compiled a 187-138-43 record with a 2.85 GAA and a .903 SV%.
Although he endured a rough stretch between 2022 and 2023, accumulating 43 penalty minutes, Binnington has seemingly settled down as he's gotten older and isn't quite as feisty as before.
One possible explanation behind a Binnington move is the emergence of Joel Hofer, who has increasingly taken over the starting responsibilities in St. Louis. Last year, Binnington played only 41 games, going 13-20-7, his worst record as a full-time NHLer. Moreover, even though the Blues have been adding pieces and tweaking their roster, they haven’t been a consistent playoff team in the heavyweight Central Division.
Ultimately, with Hofer starting the majority of St. Louis games, including seven out of 10 this year, it’s time for the Blues and Binnington to part ways. As one of the top goalies who continues to find his name in the rumor mill, Binnington would bring a winning pedigree to the Panthers, something Markström and Schmid currently do not possess.
In addition, with Roberto Luongo’s deep ties to Team Canada, he’d be well aware of what Binnington brings to the table and would be a great sounding board about the expectations in Florida.
Panthers need a proven starter to compete for the Stanley Cup
At the moment, Markström would be better suited for a backup role, where he wouldn't have to shoulder the daily pressures of being the No. 1 goalie on a team expected to compete for the Stanley Cup. His partner, Schmid, isn't ready to be a full-time starter and would be better utilized in a limited role.
Surprisingly, Binnington carries the same $6 million cap hit as Markström, which is $2.5 million less than Hellebuyck's contract with the Devils. Of course, the Panthers don't have that kind of cap space available, but acquiring Binnington could be more financially manageable than pursuing Hellebuyck.
Currently, the math doesn't add up, but teams have accountants for a reason. Whether that means moving an existing contract or finding another way to create cap flexibility, Zito would have some difficult decisions to make. If Florida wants to remain a serious Stanley Cup contender, it's not too late to acquire a proven netminder who could help push this year's club over the hump.
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