Bill Zito's Panthers are believed to have interest in Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, the latest sign Florida isn't finished this offseason.
The claim came from The Mug NHL. It says Zito is believed to have interest in Binnington, who the post notes is entering the final year of his contract.
Florida just landed Brady Tkachuk, and Elliotte Friedman floated the Panthers' interest in goalie Samuel Ersson only a day earlier.
Two netminder names in two days is the tell. Whether it's for depth or the future, Florida is clearly eyeing the crease.
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Why Florida keeps circling the goalie market
The reasoning isn't hard to find. The Panthers finished 25th, and Sergei Bobrovsky is still the $10M starter at the back.
A team adding this aggressively often wants insurance behind an aging, expensive goalie. That's the lane a Binnington or an Ersson would fill.
Now the part the rumor skips. An experienced starter in a contract year is exactly the type a buy-mode GM kicks tires on, but I can't speak to his numbers here, and the report itself is thin.
So separate two things. Florida being active is fact, after Tkachuk and the Ersson note. This particular Binnington link is fan chatter until someone credible attaches their name.
The cap makes it trickier, too. Stacking goalie money behind a $10M starter usually forces a move elsewhere, which is why depth chatter and a bigger swing pull in different directions.
Here's my read: the Panthers are absolutely not done, that much is real. Whether Binnington is the next domino is a fan rumor, not an imminent deal, and those aren't the same thing.
So watch Zito, not the whisper. A GM operating this aggressively will make another move.
With the draft Friday, Florida's next swing should come into focus quickly. Just trust who's reporting it when it does.
Should the Panthers add a goalie like Binnington behind Bobrovsky?
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