3 reasons why Jordan Binnington should not have been Team Canada's starting goalie for 4 Nations Face-Off

St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington will get the start in goal for Team Canada in the 4 Nations opener on Wednesday night, NHL.com reported. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion goaltender will backstop a stacked Team Canada lineup that will look to impose its superiority over the rest of the field.

However, there are three reasons why Jordan Binnington should not have gotten the nod over Adin Hill or Samuel Montembeault as the Team Canada starter.

3 reasons why Jordan Binnington should not have been Team Canada's starting goalie for 4 Nations Face-Off

#3 Binnington’s temper

Jordan Binnington is known as a fierce competitor, often engaging in physical play. That physical play has at times gotten out of hand, leading him to take needless penalties.

According to NHL.com, Team Canada coach Jon Cooper stated that Binnington has:

“Got a fire in his belly.”

That fire could potentially get out of hand if the action becomes tough or overly physical. If Binnington is unable to control his temper, his antics could become a distraction for the Canadian squad. As such, Binnington must stay focused to ensure he can stop the puck.

#2 Binnington is a streaky goaltender

Those who watch Binnington play regularly realize he tends to be a streaky goaltender. When he’s on, he’s on. He’s right up there with the best of them in any situation. While he’s not the sort of lights-out netminder that Connor Hellebuyck is, Binnington is certainly capable of carrying a team over prolonged stretches.

The question is: Which Jordan Binnington will Team Canada get? If the Canadians get the solid Binnington, the opposition could be in trouble. If Binnington hits one of these unfortunate downturns, his confidence may become impacted, causing instability in the crease for Canada.

#1 Binnington is not having his best season

Entering the 4 Nations Face-Off, Jordan Binnington is in the midst of a somewhat subpar season. His 2.89 GAA and .897 SV% are below his career totals. While those numbers are certainly impacted by the team playing in front of him, the fact is that Binnington’s overall numbers have drastically dropped since his improbable 2019 run.

The expectation would be that playing behind an elite blue line and with plenty of firepower, Binnington would have the chance to prove his very much the high-end goaltender that fans have seen in the past. As a result, Team Canada will have to play solid defense in front of Binnington to ensure he doesn’t need to “steal” games for them.

Ultimately, Binnington will get a vote of confidence from his team and coach. But there will always be a small sliver of doubt until Binnington proves he was the right choice after all.