The Buffalo Sabres are pretty set for this upcoming season. It’s been a busy offseason for GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who’s done his best to offset some key losses.
While the roster is pretty much intact, there could still be room for improvement. And the area that most pundits point towards is the crease. The goaltending group, as it stands, features presumptive starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, with backups Alex Lyon and Colten Ellis.
That’s not a bad group, but not the kind that’s going to keep opposing coaches up at night. So, what if the Sabres could pull off one last late-summer stunner?
No, we’re not talking about Connor Hellebuyck. While Hellebuyck could still be in play, the goalie we’re thinking about is St. Louis Blues veteran Jordan Binnington.
Binnington has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now. Just about every Blues rumor somehow circles back to Binnington. With Joel Hofer essentially anointed as the starter in St. Louis, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the Blues seriously looking to move Binnington.
The question would be: Is Binnington really the answer to the Sabres’ needs? We know that Binnington is a big-game goalie. He’s proven it at the NHL level and on the international stage for Canada. If that’s the case, Binnington could have been the difference between going home and making it to the Eastern Conference Final last spring.
Assuming the 33-year-old still has the big-game bravado in him, the question would then be: what would it cost to land Binnington?
Sabres may get Binnington for less than expected
For a while, the asking price on Binnington was believed to be high. That’s something that might have changed over the summer. The Blues don’t look particularly set to make a massive playoff run.
Yes, they have improved. But they’re still a young club with limited expectations.
With that in mind, the Blues might be willing to let Binnington go, an impending UFA, for a lower price.
You would have to think that Luukkonen would likely head to St. Louis. But a 1-for-1 deal might not really look likely. The Blues might want a draft pick or a prospect to close the deal. In fact, the Sabres could spare the pieces without giving up a high-end prospect or a first-round pick.
Would the Sabres be able to re-sign Binnington?
One of the factors that would influence this decision is Binnington’s contract status. He’s in the final year of a six-year deal with a $6 million cap hit.
The issue lies in the Sabres’ ability to re-sign Binnington beyond this season. He’ll likely be looking for a multi-year deal. All right, so assuming Buffalo is willing to give him, say, a three-year deal, what would the price tag be? Would it be higher than his current cap hit?
If Binnington was willing to take a similar or even lower cap hit, a deal might just work out. Since the Sabres don’t really have a goaltending prospect pushing up the system to take over the crease, Binnington could be a placeholder of sorts.
For now, this deal lives in the realm of speculation. There’s nothing to indicate it’s happening. But if there was a Plan B of sorts, Binnington wouldn’t be a bad choice for the Sabres moving forward.
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