Welcome back, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the Olympic break. No matter which nation you were cheering for, it was a treat to watch truly elite, best‑on‑best hockey.

As we head toward the trade deadline, I'm focusing this week on goaltenders who could be on the move or at least find themselves in the rumor mill. Next week, we'll shift our attention to skaters. And of course, once the deadline passes, we'll be here to break down every impactful move that is to follow.

Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues (32) $6M AAV, UFA 2027- '28

Jordan Binnington has already landed near the top of plenty of trade boards, and chances are your league chat has kicked his name around too. He may continue to surface in rumors, but I'm pumping the brakes on the idea that he actually gets dealt. For one, his $6M AAV almost guarantees you'd need a third-party broker to make the money work, on top of that, he holds a 14‑team no‑trade list. These two combined will make it difficult for the Blues to find a dance partner.

It also doesn't help that his regular‑season numbers haven't been particularly strong. Joel Hofer has outplayed him for stretches—despite Hofer's own slow start—and has been the hotter hand overall. The only scenario where I can see a path to a Binnington trade is if the goalie market becomes so inflated at the deadline that his contract suddenly looks like a more reasonable option.

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild (23) $2.2M AAV, RFA (Arb. Eligible) 2027- '28

Jesper Wallstedt is another goaltender I don't expect to be moved, but he's absolutely the type of netminder that teams are calling about. It's hard to imagine Minnesota parting with a 23‑year‑old netminder on a good contract with real upside. That said, the Wild have been aggressive on the trade front this season in pursuit of a deep playoff run, so it's not shocking that clubs are at least checking in.

High‑danger save percentage is always a useful metric for evaluating young goalies, but what really boosts Wallstedt's appeal is his consistency. He's posted 16 quality starts in 23 games—an impressive rate for a developing netminder. The only other goalies with similar quality‑start totals in the 20- to 30-game range are Alex Lyon (27 GP, 18 QS), Brandon Bussi (27 GP, 18 QS), and Joseph Woll (25 GP, 17 QS). All three have had strong stretches this season, which puts Wallstedt in good company and makes him an intriguing target for any team exploring a goaltending upgrade.

Cam Talbot, Detroit Red Wings (38) $2.5M AAV, Upcoming UFA

This one is interesting. Cam Talbot is exactly the kind of veteran backup you'd want heading into the playoffs, yet he also carries enough value to draw trade interest. His experience would be a real asset for Detroit if anything happened to John Gibson in April, but what really caught my attention is the possibility of the Red Wings turning to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

Sebastian Cossa has been excellent for the Griffins this season, posting a .929 save percentage and 23 wins in 30 games. It's unlikely Detroit would bring up an off‑roster goaltender at this stage of the season—especially given their position in the standings—but it's a situation worth monitoring in dynasty formats. If the Wings decide to make a move, Cossa could quickly become fantasy‑relevant.

Colten Ellis, Buffalo Sabres (25) $800K AAV, RFA (Arb. Eligible) 2027-'28, 2028-'29 UFA

If I were to put some chips in the middle on a goaltender that could be traded in a week's time, Colten Ellis would be my best guess. At various points this season, the Sabres have carried four goalies on their active roster, and with the team close to playoff contention, Ellis feels like the kind of piece they could move to add an asset elsewhere.

Ellis is a valuable asset in salary‑cap and dynasty formats because he checks two boxes everyone loves: he's young, and he carries a very affordable AAV. If he's included in a trade, it could open the door for more starts down the stretch, making him a name to keep on your radar as the regular season winds down.

*Salary Cap data from PuckPedia.com  

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