St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup-winning goalie wants to discuss future team plans with GM-in-waiting Alexander Steen, management team with one year remaining on current contract
ST. LOUIS -- When it comes to his immediate future, St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup-winning goalie Jordan Binnington is keeping an open mind.
The 32-year-old, who has one year remaining on a six-year contract that paid him $6 million annually, is keeping his options open and a lot will hinge on his discussions of the vision of the team moving forward with the management team, led by current GM Doug Armstrong and incoming GM Alexander Steen, who takes the role when Armstrong solely moves into his primary role as president of hockey operations.
"I think 'Steener' and I are going to have some conversations," Binnington said at exit interviews on Saturday at Enterprise Center. "I think for me, I’m a competitive goaltender, right? I love St. Louis. I think for me, it’s just taking care of what’s in my control. It’s the same old story I give every time. I think if I can take care of what’s in my control, then the rest will unfold. I believe in myself and in my process. I’m excited to get to work."
It's no secret that the numbers just didn't add up for Binnington this season, now seven years removed from a rookie season after helping guide the Blues to their first and only Stanley Cup over the Boston Bruins. He finished the season 13-20-7 with a 3.33 goals-against average and .873 save percentage, his worst statistical categories for wins, GAA and and save percentage.
"I wouldn’t say it went as planned," Binnington said. "There were some highlights throughout the year of some good games. Obviously the Olympics was a great experience and a setting I felt comfortable in. There was frustration at times. I would say it’s a year of lessons, like any other year and this year more so. Just learning more about myself and different situations I’m in and how I respond. Not playing these last couple of months or so allowed me time to reflect and think about just what my next 3-5 year vision is. It’s exciting and life just keeps moving. It’s just one day at a time, and I will say about the group, we showed a great amount of commitment towards that second half of the year, similar to last year, but I think we’re trending in the right direction and I think the personnel involved, we understand that it’s not good enough and I can feel the commitment from the group to want to be better and want to be in the playoffs and want to be tough to play against. A year of lessons, a year of optimism for the future of this group."
Coupled with the emergence of Joel Hofer, the 41 games played (39 starts) were the fewest in a season for Binnington since 2021-22, but the Blues, at least at the outset, are not so quick to make a rash decision whether to trade their career wins leader among goalies so fast.
"As you said, his resume is deep and he got us all a Stanley Cup," Armstrong said. "I’m not going to say anything bad about Jordan Binnington, but this wasn’t the year he wanted to have either. He’ll be the first to say that if you talk to him or if you’ve already talked to him. But he’s an ultimate competitor, and I expect that he is going to re-assess his training, he’s going to re-assess things that put him in this spot, put our team in this spot and he’s going to adjust to that.
"I think the NHL is a long season and you need two good goaltenders. I think that tandem can lead a team through dark times. Not every game’s going to be great, but if we have two goalies that can be great any given night, that gives us great opportunity."
Binnington finished the season strong, going 5-3-1 with a 2.25 GAA and .907 save percentage. He was solid for Canada, which claimed silver at this year's Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
"I think you ask those questions of the guys that are going to follow me," Blues coach Jim Montgomery on the management team. "That’s not my department, and I trust those guys to do the right things for the Blues. I think that as long as players are on the roster, they’re my players and that’s the way I treat everything.
"Just a high-character individual that you don’t often see goalies be a part of your leadership core but he is someone that is part of our leadership core because of his unselfishness and his willingness to help the Blues in any capacity."
Hofer, who went 12-2-2 (tied for the most wins after the Olympic break) with a 2.04 GAA and .933 save percentage since Feb. 26, loves the 1-2 punch the Blues currently have.
"He’s great," Hofer said of Binnington. "Our relationship’s great. Coming to the rink, he always has a smile on his face. I’d say the biggest thing is we push each other on and off the ice. In practices and stuff, we’re always talking about little things or talking about the games prior, our views on the games are different obviously, so it’s nice to have his opinion. He’s been great for me."
But at this stage of his career, does Binnington want to be in a split role, or even one where Hofer grabs more of the No. 1 job title and he's a backup? Time will tell. But in regards to what he sees as the vision moving forward, Binnington, who is 186-136-43 with a 2.83 GAA and .903 save percentage in 377 games (366 started) in his Blues career, feels good about what his Cup-teammate Steen has lined up.
"I will say I believe in what 'Steener' has in mind for this group," Binnington said. "I’m excited about that and being a part of a good, winning, successful hockey team is where I want to be. That’s something you just handle as it comes.
"I thought of this, there’s not a lot to be said really. It’s about action for me and that’s kind of how I’m going to go about it. Not that I don’t want to give you an answer, but there’s nothing to be really said. I’ll have to see."
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