The most recent indication that Bill Zito’s Panthers are rumored to be interested in Blues goalie Jordan Binnington is that This offseason, Florida isn’t done yet.
The Mug NHL made the claim. According to the article, Zito is reportedly interested in Binnington, whose contract is about to expire.
Elliotte Friedman mentioned the Panthers’ interest in goaltender Samuel Ersson just a day before Florida signed Brady Tkachuk.
The tell is two netminder names in two days. Florida is evidently concentrating on the crease, either for depth or for the future.
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Florida continues to pursue the goalie market
It’s not hard to see why. 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.
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