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Jordan Binnington’s future with the St. Louis Blues may be in question after another difficult stretch for the team. Despite a 4-3 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Blues remain close to a playoff spot, but their inconsistent play has raised concerns about the team’s direction. An NHL scout speculates that if the Blues continue to struggle, Binnington might request a trade, citing his body language after key losses as a sign of frustration.
As per a report by Jimmy Murphy of the Responsible Gambler, a scout reached out after suggesting the body language by Binnington wasn’t a good sign and also noted, “I wonder if Binnington asks out eventually?” Murphy then said the site wanted to dig into that idea a bit more and reached out to an NHL executive. Their response was, “That wouldn’t surprise me if he asked out.”
“He’s a gamer, and yeah, I think he’s tasted a Cup before, so he will want more. There are teams that have a chance and could use him.”
Who Might Be Interested in a Binnington Trade?
Binnington, 31, has two years remaining on his six-year, $36 million contract, and could attract interest from teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, notes Murphy. He also noted that the NHL exec he talked to suggested the Hurricanes wouldn’t be the only team interested.
Binnington has a modified 18-team no-trade clause in his contract. That means he can decline a move to nearly half of the league if the organization comes to ask about a deal. He could also expand that list if it turns out that he’s really not keen on staying in St. Louis.
The Blues don’t have a solid Plan B beyond Binnington. Joel Hofer has played five games this season and he could be a legitimate NHL starter after his 30 games last season where he posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average. It would be a risk for the Blues to move Binnington without someone else coming in.
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Ryan Reaves' Clear Opinion of Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
Before Ryan Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, he had a front-row seat to Auston Matthews' first season wearing the “C” for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews dealt with injury setbacks throughout the year, missing 15 games after hurting himself during training camp. He still found a way to finish the season, racking up 78 points in 67 regular-season games, adding 11 points in 13 playoff outings. Reaves appeared on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast on Monday to discuss that and many other topics. Reaves opened up on his two seasons in Toronto. The enforcer offered insight into what made the 2024–25 campaign unique and how Matthews handled the spotlight during his first year as the team captain. “I think a lot of (Matthews') leadership is led by example,” Reaves said. “He works incredibly hard in practice. And on the ice, I think you see how hard he works in all three zones. “Obviously, grinding through some issues this year, and, you know, really trying to grind through it for the team.” Reaves said that even though Matthews was forced to miss time throughout the season, the captain maintained a presence Reaves — a 38-year-old veteran — found instructive, especially for younger players in the locker room. “To me, Auston was a guy who really led by example, really tried to drag guys into battles, practice,” Reaves said. “Never took days off, never, never coasted in practice. Always working his (expletive) off, on the ice before everybody else, off the ice last, you know. “(It’s) something that, as a vet, it was great to see. It really teaches those young guys how to, how to be, you know, the best in the world.” Reaves, however, acknowledged that Matthews wasn’t the most vocal captain he’d ever played with. That said, the veteran still respected Matthews' approach to leading the Maple Leafs. “Everybody leads differently, right?” Reaves said. “You can’t be the most vocal and the most leading by example, you can’t, you can’t do it all.”
Kelsey Plum takes shot at Caitlin Clark after WNBA All-Star Game
On Saturday night, Kelsey Plum was part of Team Collier's 151-131 win over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game, scoring 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Following the game, the Los Angeles Sparks star was asked about WNBA All-Stars wearing shirts before the game that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us." Specifically, Plum was asked about how that idea came together. "The T-shirt — just a united front," she said. "That was determined this morning, that we had a meeting for. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that." Plum said it with a chuckle. However, she was sitting next to New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't really need to be mentioned" before laughing. It was awkward, especially because Caitlin Clark, as well as all of the members of Team Clark, wore the shirts. If Clark didn't wear the shirt, you could understand some backlash. But she did. It should also be noted that Team Collier featured the president of the WNBA Players Association, Nneka Ogwumike, as well as the first vice president, Plum, and two vice presidents, Napheesa Collier and Brenna Stewart. It makes sense if they took on greater leadership roles in a statement like this against the league. Whether Plum likes it or not, the reason the WNBA has any sort of leverage heading into these negotiations with the league is Clark. She would do well to remember that the next time she wants to take an unnecessary shot at Clark, who is responsible for the greatest surge in fan attention the WNBA has ever seen.
Alex Cora appeared to tamper with Kyle Schwarber
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora appeared to tamper with Kyle Schwarber on Tuesday. Cora’s Red Sox were in the middle of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies, which is why the subject of Schwarber came up. Phillies Nation reporter Destiny Lugardo asked Cora about Schwarber’s upcoming free agency. The Red Sox manager said he would be “very, very intrigued” to see how Schwarber’s free agency plays out. Lugardo took that to mean that Cora will be advocating for the Red Sox to try to sign Schwarber. However, Cora acknowledged that Philadelphia has been great for the slugger. I hate to say it, but (Philly) is a perfect place for him,” Cora said, via Lugardo. Schwarber, 32, was a trade-deadline acquisition by the Red Sox in 2021. He batted .291 with a .957 OPS in 41 regular-season games with the team. The Red Sox lost in the ALCS that year with Cora as the manager. During that offseason, Schwarber signed a 4-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies, which has worked out well. Schwarber has slugged 164 home runs over his four seasons with the Phillies with an .849 OPS. He has been such a good fit with the Phillies that the team might not want to let him go. The problem is, Cora even just describing himself “intrigued” over Schwarber’s free agency may be enough to be considered tampering with a player who is under contract with another team.
Bears meeting with one-year wonder Pro Bowler is really strange
The Chicago Bears' receiving corps is already pretty loaded as it is. They have D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze as their top two wide receivers, they signed Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency and they also selected Luther Burden III in the NFL draft. The Bears' receiver room is so crowded, in fact, that they will have some pretty tough roster decisions to make when it comes time to trim things down to 53 players, which is why Zaccheaus himself could actually represent a potential trade candidate even though he just signed. Why, then, did Chicago feel the need to meet with former Pro Bowl pass-catcher DJ Chark earlier this week? Chark spent the 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers and barely made an impact, logging four catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. There was a time when Chark looked to be an ascending talent at the position, as he hauled in 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight scores with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2019. Thanks to injuries and a major dropoff in production overall, Chark has not approached those numbers since, finishing with over 500 yards just three times over the last five seasons. There are definitely teams that make sense for Chark, who is still just 28 years old and may be able to resurrect his career somewhere. But the Bears aren't one of them. Chicago is cultivating Odunze, and just about everyone expects Burden to be a Day 1 burner for Caleb Williams and the offense. We already know what Moore can do, and Zaccheaus was actually really good in Washington last year. Throw in names like Tyler Scott and Devin Duvernay, and it's hard to see where Chark fits into the equation. I guess it doesn't hurt to not leave any stone unturned, but again, the Bears' depth chart is pretty crammed as it is. Unless Chicago is planning on making a trade somewhere (Zaccheaus?), bringing Chark onto the squad doesn't really add up.
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