Is Jordan Binnington the right choice to start in net at the 4 Nations Face-Off?

The question of who will get the first start for Team Canada was finally answered yesterday when it was confirmed that Jordan Binnington would be in the crease against Sweden on Wednesday. Canada’s goaltending is one of the biggest question marks in the tournament, so there was never going to be a truly right answer, but Binnington’s performance with an .897 save percentage and -0.49 goals saved above expected this season has been the worst of the three Canadian goalies selected.

So was Binnington the right choice for the starter’s job for Team Canada? Frank Seravalli talked about why picking him could be the correct move on Daily Faceoff Live.

Frank Seravalli: Look, if there’s one thing that you want your team to portray, it’s confidence. And no one has more confidence of any NHL netminder than Jordan Binnington. Didn’t matter if he was in the ECHL or if he was on his way up to winning a Stanley Cup and turning around the St. Louis Blues season back in 2019, going from last place all the way to Game 7 of the Cup final, he’s had it.

Maybe exuding that confidence, even if your game isn’t at that level is also part of what Team Canada needs, because everyone heads into this tournament knowing that Canada has the worst goaltending here. That’s clear. They’re fourth of four teams, and if you were to stack all the 12 goalies up against each other, Canada probably has 9, 10, and 11 or something like this. And then Sam Ersson gets 12th.

But still, that’s going to be a big talking point. I think if you’re Canada, and you’re the management staff and John Cooper, all you’re hoping for is just league average. Just give them something that enables the team. It gives them a chance to win. And I think with the forwards and defense that Canada has assembled, they’re the superpower, the juggernaut, the 800-pound gorilla in this tournament. Maybe that’s all you need.

You can watch the full episode here…