It's hard to win without consistently good goaltending.
The Edmonton Oilers are proving that once again this season, as their four-game losing streak is raising questions about the state of their crease. Naturally, that's led to conversations about trading for a goaltender.
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There are three big names on the trading block in terms of goaltenders: Anaheim's John Gibson, St. Louis' Jordan Binnington, and Utah's Karel Vejmelka. We've covered both sides of the Gibson debate here on the site this season. Today, we're going to take a look at Binnington, before turning our attention to Vejmelka tomorrow.
The Player
Selected in the third round of the 2011 draft, Binnington burst onto the scene as a 25-year-old rookie in 2018-19, leading the St. Louis Blues from the league's basement to their first-ever Stanley Cup with one of the most shocking goaltending performances of the 21st century.
Since then, the mercurial Binnington has settled in as St. Louis' starting goalie, passing his agent Mike Liut as the winningest goalie in Blues history earlier this season. He was the starter for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, shutting down the United States in overtime to help capture the championship.
The Good
Binnington is a big-game goalie. He made his name in the 2019 playoffs, posting a .914 save percentage and saving 3.9 goals above expected in 26 starts, capping it off with a dominant 32-save performance to clinch the Stanley Cup in game seven on the road in Boston. He'll never have to buy another drink in St. Louis for the rest of his life.
Binnington proved his bona fides again just a week ago, playing one of the best periods I've ever seen from a goaltender in Canada's overtime win over the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. His glove robbery of Brady Tkachuk made hearts stop across the nation. He should never have to buy another drink anywhere in Canada for the rest of his life, either.
Binnington has outplayed both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard this season, with a GSAx of 2.0 to their -3 and -6.5, respectively. Those aren't Vezina-winning numbers, by any means, but not being in the red is a good start.
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EDMONTON -- It's not all sunshine and rainbows.
The Bad
For all the championships and the money he'll save at bars, the rest of Binnigton's body of work is less than stellar. In six full seasons as the Blues' starter, Binnington has saved 1.5 goals above expected -- basically flat average.
He's had two average seasons, followed by two abysmal seasons, followed by an excellent 2023-24 and a slightly above average 2024-25. Hardly a model of consistency.
Anyone who watched the 4 Nations Face-Off knows that Binnington is capable of both greatness and mediocrity. He allowed at least one soft goal in all four games, and was 10 dominant minutes away from being Canada's goat. This is all starting to sound a lot like Stuart Skinner with a bigger price tag.
Apart from that price tag (two more years after this one at $6 million per year), Binnington is also well-known for a big, intense personality on and off the ice. That can be great, and bring a new element to a dressing room, but it can also go south quickly, especially in the middle of the season. The Oilers like Skinner and Pickard in part because of their even-keeled, personable presences in the locker room. Binnington stands in stark contrast.
The Verdict
On the surface, Binnington is an attractive target: A veteran starter with a Stanley Cup ring, coming off one of the most clutch goaltending performances in recent memory. It's easy to be lured in by the siren song of the big-game goalie, but the Oilers need more substance.
If they're going to spend assets on a goalie this season, it needs to be in the search of consistency. Binnington may be a big name with some shiny hardware, but he's anything but consistent. At his price tag, he's just not the right fit in Edmonton.
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