The last 72 hours across the NHL have been very interesting. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they've been involved in a few trades, and as we inch towards the 2026 NHL Draft, it looks like they could be involved in another one.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs could be in the market to add a goalie, and among the players he named was Jordan Binnington.
The goal behind acquiring a goalie of Binnington's caliber would be to get them back into win-now mode but also help keep Auston Matthews on the team. Especially with another member of the USA gold medal team being traded. Which means John Chayka and the Maple Leafs' front office are willing to consider anything to keep Matthews happy.
Binnington's fit on the Maple Leafs
First and foremost, it would be nice to see the Maple Leafs have an actual bonafide starting goalie for the first time since Frederik Andersen. Yes, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz were a solid tandem, but it's time for Toronto to have a clear-cut number one goalie until Artur Akhtyamov and Dennis Hildeby are ready to take the reins.
Binnington would bring that; although he has struggled the last few seasons with the St. Louis Blues, him getting a change of scenery and playing on a better team could help him get back to his previous form.
In 41 appearances last season, he started 39 games and had a 13-20-7 record with a .873 SV% and a 3.33 GAA. Which isn't his best year by far, but he is just two years removed from a season where he had a 28-21-5 record in 55 starts and had a 2.84 GAA and a .913 SV% If he can get back to that level, he will be exactly what the Maple Leafs need.
In terms of his contract, the Maple Leafs should be able to afford the entire thing barring another big trade. As of now, they have $18 million in projected cap space and could have up to $22 million if they put Max Domi on LTIR, if he isn't healthy to start the season. Binnington's current AAV as he enters his last year on his contract is $6 million. That would leave the Maple Leafs around $12-16 million to work with.
Chayka should consider moving Stolarz's contract for extra cap space
The most ideal situation would be they find a way to offload Stolarz's $3.75 million cap hit to give them more room to work with. It is unlikely that the Blues would want to absorb that contract, but if there was a world where it happened, it would give the Maple Leafs more breathing room. That said, the Blues could be willing to eat 25-50% of Binnington's contract for an additional draft pick because he is in his final year on his contract.
Nevertheless, the Maple Leafs do have cap space to make the deal work. It just all depends on how many other trades or signings they have up their sleeves. The good thing is, they don't need to be cap compliant until closer to the season. So, it gives Chayka time to improve his roster and deal with the financial side of it after.
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