Jordan Binnington bet on himself and won a lucrative new contract with the St. Louis Blues.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $ 36 million on Thursday. The average value of his $ 6 million annual contract is a jump above his current $ 4.4 million AAV.
His completion and contract term are the same as those of Jacob Markstrom, who signed with the Calgary Flames last season as the most coveted goalkeeper.
The additional terms include commercial protection throughout the contract and a total ban clause for the first three years.
“I am grateful and very proud,” said Binnington in a video call on Thursday night. “We have a special team here, a great nucleus, a veteran group and young talents and all that. I’m glad it worked. ”
Binnington, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, is in his third season with the Blues and recorded a record of 63-24-11, an average of 2.38 goals scored, a percentage of 0.915 saves and eight shutouts in 102 regular season games. This season, he is 9-6-3 in 19 games for St. Louis, with a defensive percentage of 0.908 and an average of 2.69 goals scored.
“I like to set short-term goals that, in the end, turn into big goals,” he said. “I want to make the city proud. I want to continue to make my family proud and just keep striving to be the best athlete and person I can be. That is what keeps you alive.”
The Richmond Hill, Ontario native was a rookie sensation in 2018-19, helping to lead the Blues from last place in his conference for his first Stanley Cup championship in the franchise’s history. He went 24-5-1 in the regular season and won Game 7 of the final on the road in Boston.
“The curriculum was getting clearer and clearer,” said Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. “Jordan, obviously, is one of the best goalkeepers in the league. He has a champion’s pedigree. ”
It was after that race for the World Cup that Binnington signed a two-year, $ 8.8 million bridge deal with the Blues. The team wanted to make sure that it was a long-term goal solution and not just a season’s wonder. Binnington wanted to prove himself worthy of a long-term commitment.
The bridge led to a six-year contract extension between the goalkeeper and his team, which runs from 2026-27.
“I’m not looking to destroy the bank,” said Binnington. “It’s not just about money for me. At the end of the day, I think what you look back on and feel in your heart are the memories made and competing and being successful and going through tough times and getting out of them and being with your teammates. We have a good and respected group here, and I’m excited. ”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.