The St. Louis Blues season has been thorny, to say the least. The Blues remain stuck in neutral, but Friday night’s win offers an interesting storyline for the club.
The Blues pulled out a big 3-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks, inching them closer to a playoff spot. St. Louis is now two points behind the upstart San Jose Sharks (yes, that’s right) for the second wild card spot.
Friday night’s victory was possible thanks to Joel Hofer’s solid performance. Hofer made 27 saves on the night to hold the fort. The Blues opened up a 3-1 lead midway through the second period. But as the Blackhawks pushed to get back into the game, Hofer backstopped the Blues the rest of the way.
Here’s just a sample of how Hofer stood stymied the Blackhawks, as shown on the Blues’ X official X account:
they don't teach that in goalie school... pic.twitter.com/IEmSDivjyv
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 13, 2025
The save underscores just how much Hofer has eased into the Blues’ crease. His numbers have reflected this change. Over his last five games, he’s allowed one goal three times, including a 42-save effort against the Ottawa Senators on December 6. Hofer surrendered four goals to the Boston Bruins in his only loss during that span.
Most importantly, Hofer has provided stability amid Jordan Binnington’s struggles. Binnington has had quite the up-and-down season, putting the Blues in a tough spot. But it’s been Hofer who’s stepped in to fill the void at times.
Don’t look now, but Joel Hofer could have just taken over the starting goaltender role away from Jordan Binnington. Jim Montgomery will likely ride the hot hand as he looks to guide his club back to the postseason.
Could Hofer have made Binnington expendable in the Blues’ crease?
With all this talk about mind-shocking trades, the Blues could make some waves of their own. One of the much-talked-about players on the move has been Binnington. There’s a good chance Doug Armstrong has bitten his tongue on making a move, given the lack of a solid goalie in St. Louis.
But that could change with Hofer officially taking over the starting role. While it may be a little premature to jettison Binnington, you would have to think that rival GMs could be looking at this situation. They could be seeing precisely what we’re talking about and thinking that Hofer could make Binnington expendable.
If so, could a trade be in the pipeline? That’s hard to tell. But it doesn’t take much to suppose that some GM out there could be making a call to inquire about Binnington. It wouldn’t be surprising if a conversation has already occurred.
Who knows, the Blues may be the next major shoe to drop in this season’s NHL trade market.