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The Blues will have tough decisions to make on Binnington and Hofer eventually, but for now let's just enjoy one of the best goaltending tandems in the NHL

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By SP
Published October 23, 2024 7:21 PM CST


The debates about what the Blues should do with Binnington and Hofer will intensify amongst fans and media as this year goes on. Hofer becomes an RFA after this season, and has shown NHL starting goaltender potential. Hofer will more than likely be sought after by several teams, but the Blues have options; and therefore, time.

Even if Hofer signs an offer sheet with another team, the Blues still have the right of first refusal to match and keep Hofer. Binnington is signed through the 2026-2027 season at a $6M AAV, or 7% of the total salary cap. That's manageable, and allows them the flexibility to allocate more salary dollars to the goaltender position to carry both for a time if needed.

Depending on how significant of a salary that Hofer gets I think the Blues would work out a trade for Binnington to alleviate the cap space, but if they needed to buy some time that's one option they have. Starting in 2024 Binnington no longer has full no trade protection, so a trade isn't as challenging as, say, trading Torey Krug.

With that said, I think the likeliest outcome for all of this is that Binnington moves on and the Blues commit to Hofer. The Blues have been turning their roster over to players in their early 20's for the last couple of seasons, which makes the keep Hofer and trade Binnington scenario more likely. The Blues aren't in a competitive window where keeping the veteran player to try and win the Stanley Cup in the short-term makes sense. The Blues have an eye on building for the future, and Hofer certainly fits with that philosophy, providing the Blues with a talented young goaltender to build around for the long-term. At 24 years old Hofer is 7 years younger than Binnington, and Binnington will be 34 when his current contract expires.

Let me be very clear: I am NOT rooting for the team to move on from Binnington, it's just the reality of the situation. Front offices seek sustained success and long-term viability, and that means sometimes they have to make tough decisions and move on from franchise legends and fan favorites like Binnington in order to get better in the future. And Hofer sure looks like the future.