NHL Rumor Mill – November 16, 2024
Could Blues goalie Jordan Binnington move on to a Cup contender? Are the Flyers shopping defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
COULD BINNINGTON MOVE ON FROM THE BLUES?
RG.ORG: James Murphy asked a former St. Louis Blues source if Jordan Binnington might eventually ask to be moved. The source said he wouldn’t be surprised if the 29-year-old goaltender requested a trade.
St. Louis Blue goaltender Jordan Binnington (NHL Images)
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong could become a seller if his retooling club finds itself in another losing skid by the upcoming American Thanksgiving weekend.
Murphy suggested the Carolina Hurricanes would be interested in Binnington if he became available. Veteran starter Frederik Andersen is sidelined again and Pyotr Kochetkov is also banged up. Murphy’s source believes the Hurricanes wouldn’t be the only club interested in the Blues goalie.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy noted Binnington has two years remaining on his six-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million. He also carries an 18-team no-trade list. Both factors would make Binnington difficult to move if he requested a trade. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t be traded but it seems unlikely at this stage.
It would be big news if the Blues were entertaining offers for their starting goalie. Binnington hasn’t given any indication that he wants out of St. Louis and Armstrong’s dropped no hints that he’s available.
ARE THE FLYERS SHOPPING RISTOLAINEN?
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently singling out the improved play this season Rasmus Ristolainen, speculating the pundit might be “planting a seed for a potential Flyers trade down the road.”
Bailey also cited Philadelphia sportswriter Anthony SanFilippo reporting that Ristolainen is gathering trade interest around the league. However, he claims the Flyers haven’t received a suitable offer yet for the 30-year-old defenseman.
SanFilippo believes Ristolainen could be moved between the start of the New Year and June. However, the Flyers would have to retain part of the blueliner’s salary or risk pushing trade talks into the offseason. He carries an AAV of $5.1 million through 2026-27.
THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz also reports the Flyers are fielding calls about Ristolainen. However, they’re not interested in moving him just to clear cap space and they don’t have a price tag attached to him.
Kurz speculates that Ristolainen’s value could rise the closer it gets to the March 7 trade deadline. However, the return could depend on how much salary the Flyers are willing to retain.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bailey points out the Flyers have already used their three salary retention slots for this season on Tony DeAngelo, Kevin Hayes, and Cam Atkinson. DeAngelo comes off the books after this season but Hayes and Atkinson each have a year remaining. (**CORRECTION** The Flyers have two salary retention slots for this season as Atkinson and DeAngelo were bought out. I misread the PuckPedia entry. My apologies for the error.)
Make it up Murphy is at it again…
Actually, he isn’t doing anything the rest of the pundits don’t … or many of us in here for that matter. The difference being they get paid to have their suggestions read/heard.
Lol. Nailed it. He said bruins going hard for top six winger and another top 2 ctr. Lmao. They have no cap space and all key players have trade protection
So isn t almost everyone else looking for the same thing!
Yep … and every blessed one of ’em are festooned with combinations of NMC, NTC and MNTC. Which is why the NHL is fast-approaching trade gridlock.
I`ll become far worse George if teams start considering offer sheets more. If they do then their own draft picks (top 3 rds) will be off the table leaving only player for player deals and lower draft picks. Teams like Pittsburgh or St Louis might find it a lot harder to move unwanted players out
Good point Yogi. And who knows, St. Louis may have already opened that Pandora’s Box. We could see a lot more offer sheets next spring as solid RFAs come up for re-negotiation on those teams facing a cap crunch and simply unable to match.
MrB4,
I just watched the Bruins & Blues Game,
Boston need a first line LW…
Morgan Geekie is just not the guy.. Boston have the same problem as last year the cant score when they need to
today Joonas Korpisalo was in Net and he is
Very inconsistant
if the Preds start to trade…and i think they will after the 25 to 35 game mark…❓
The Bruins should go after Jonathan Marchessault.. he is a true 1st line LW gets about 28 to 30 goals a year and good for 65 point a season❓
williew, I watched most of that game as well (flipping back and forth between that and the Notre Dame-Virginia game), and the fact is, if they can’t muster more than 17 total shots on goal the Bruins could find themselves near the bottom when teams behind them make up their games in hand.
The loss wasn’t Korpisalo’s fault as he faced 31 shots with a .903 save % while Binnington’s % was .862.
Now the Bruins have 3 teams 2 points behind them – Tampa with 4 games in hand, Ottawa with 3 games in hand and Buffalo with 2 games in hand.
Even Detroit, now 2nd last in the Atlantic with 15 points, have 3 in hand and could conceivably catch them.
I know – games in hand are meaningless unless you win them, and I agree with that 100%. Ottawa, for example, play their nemesis Carolina tonight in Raleigh and then come home to face Edmonton on Tuesday, so their games in hand could become moot by then. But not all those teams back of the Bruins are suddenly going to start losing.
In short, Boston’s game has to change in some fashion in order to generate more shots on goal. Right now they rank 15th in the league in total shots on goal and just got out-shot – at home – by almost a 2-1 margin by the team ranked 20th.
St. Louis may just have opened that box George and you have to remember with offer sheets you`re going after young mostly up and coming stars, not the aging vets. One of the things on the GM`s meeting from a few days ago was the compensation for offer sheets. If they lower the compensation, look out. Hockey trades as we know may go the way of the Doodoo bird
Re; Goaltender
that could be avalable come January Or before.🤔
The blues goaltender 31 yr old Jordan Binnington if he ask’s for a trade…? and if the Preds keep losing they will both be on the Hab’s goaltender short list along with Perd’s 29 yr old Juuse Saros🤔
you can Add the Hab’s to the top of the list of teams that would be in-line for both of there service’s,
Habs have what both teams need, top young d/men and 1st & 2nd round picks….❓
Sounds like the Hab’s GM and his team are
working the phones hard to get a top 4 RD man and a Starting Goaltender…..
Armstrong NEVER “drops hints”
Forget about James Murphy, Iowa Prince says Binner is gone!
IP
The Flyers still have two salary retention slots–Atkinson and DeAngelo were both bought out. They only retained salary in a trade on the deal that sent Hayes to St. Louis.
My mistake, I misread the Puckpedia entry. I’ve amended the post accordingly. Cheers!