As if there was any doubt, Binnington has deservedly earned the starting spot, and Jake Allen, just three years older than Binnington, likely a trade priority because of his $4.35 million cap hit and $9.2 million remaining on his two-year contract.
Binnington, called up from San Antonio in early December, made his debut Jan. 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers, saving 25 shots in a 3-0 win. His promotion, and the firing of Mike Yeo and appointment of Craig Berube as interim head coach, are two of the main reasons the Blues turned a miserable season around and are playing for a spot in the Western Conference Finals today.
Affectionately dubbed "Winnington" by a fan base that was as hot-and-cold on Allen as Allen was in the crease, Binnington has none of the baggage Allen has had in his seven NHL seasons.
Sometimes a fresh face, and a clean slate, can do wonders for a team.
There's also the flexibility Binnington, who is a restricted free agent after the season and currently on a $650,000 contract, offers general manager Doug Armstrong and the front office. As loaded as that word is, the Blues have five players signed through 2021, and just two players through 2022, winger Vladimir Tarasenko and center Ryan O'Reilly. Binnington is a prime candidate to be the third, especially if the Blues trade Allen and sign a backup for a one-year deal.
Allen just cracks the top 20 in NHL goalie contracts, and is No. 22 in average yearly compensation, with Carey Price, Henrik Lundqvist, Sergei Bobrovsky, Tuukka Rask and Marc-Andre Fleury each making $7 million or more per season.
It's a tough decision, but Binnington could be worth such a contract for the Blues.
Among goalkeepers this season with at least 20 games played, Binnington is fourth in save percentage, at .927, seven hundredths off of leader Ben Bishop, who Binnington's teammates will have to find ways past twice to advance. He is first in goals allowed average, at 1.89, allowing 59 goals in 1,876 minutes of ice time, and has saved 10-of-11 attempts in shootouts. The Blues have a 24-5-5 regular-season record with him on the ice.
To be sure, it hasn't been an equally-impressive postseason, but Binnington is still a rookie, which helps explain why his save percentage dipped to .908, 13th out of goalies with at least five playoff appearances, and goals against average has risen to 2.73 10th in postseason play.
He wasn't rattled in the first series against Winnipeg, and is 4-1 on the road overall, but his emotions got the better of him in Game 4, a 4-2 loss, in which he exchanged pushes with Stars captain Jamie Benn.
Whatever the end result of this series, and Binnington's first NHL postseason, he has shown he deserves to be the Blues' full-time net-minder. Armstrong's first two orders of business this offseason should be to extend Binnington and make Berube the full-time head coach.