Joel Hofer wasn’t going to get a ton of starts, thanks to Jordan Binnington’s durability and his overall consistency (for the most part) in the net, all the way until the final whistle. Still, Hofer improved in his age-24 season in many categories, and it might be just a matter of time before he’s the No. 1 guy in the net.
Don’t believe me? Hey, the Blues are still technically retooling, and Hofer is a younger version of Binnington. While he hasn’t proven he can start as many games as the incumbent, Hofer’s production has been on par with and at times better, than Binnington’s.
Grade: A-minus - Joel Hofer played a great season as the backup goaltender and, to no fault of his own, he saw limited playing time. He improved in all but one category, so there’s no way he earns anything less than an ‘A-minus’ here. The only thing that kept him from earning an ‘A’ was that he took a step back in one statistic.
Joel Hofer put together a sound season despite limited starts and opportunities
This season, his save percentage dropped from 0.913 in 2023-24 to just 0.904, but that’s about the only area we saw regression. Other than that, he was more than rock-solid, with a shutout, a 2.64 GAA, plus a 0.643 quality starts percentage.
He tied his number of shutouts from 2023-24 with one, but edged out his GAA from last season, and crushed his quality starts percentage by 0.5. He also had two more quality starts, 18, than he did in 2023-24.
If nothing else, Hofer should at least cut into Binnington’s time. Binnington isn’t getting any younger, and again, the Blues aren’t done retooling with their youth movement. It would be one thing if Hofer wasn’t capable of outperforming Binnington, but the truth is, he’s ready for more ice time.
I get that all of this is an unpopular opinion, considering how much of a fan favorite Binnington has become. But the Blues need to remain a forward-thinking organization, and I have no doubt that general manager Doug Armstrong will continue to look two, three, and even four years ahead as the championship window begins to open once again.
Joel Hofer must be the future in the Blues net
We’re still a while away from seeing if Hofer cuts into Binnington’s time in the net, but you can’t argue he’s more than made his case. Hofer now has two seasons under his belt, with 61 appearances and 55 starts, and aced the test in back-to-back seasons.
His play has shown the Blues he deserves more time in the crease, and it could even create a 1A, 1B situation in Gateway City. Sure, Binnington has shown he can remain a clear-cut No. 1, but why wouldn’t you take advantage of having two solid goaltenders if and when you decide to ultimately hang onto your top goaltender?
The approach worked well for head coach Jim Montgomery in the past, if I’m remembering things correctly. So, with that in mind, I’d like to see Hofer snag another seven or eight starts once the 2025-26 season rolls around.