Through two preseason appearances, St. Louis Blues goaltender Georgii Romanov has played strictly the final two periods, and has looked impressive doing so. Romanov first stopped all 10 shots he faced behind Jordan Binnington, then turned away seven of eight behind Joel Hofer. While it has been an extremely small sample size, Romanov now has a .947 save percentage, including a perfect four-for-four in high-danger chances.
This is not a sample size that you build a roster around, but one that is certainly making fans and critics wonder if his postseason play that led the Springfield Thunderbirds in the postseason this past season was not a fluke after all. Romanov's early performance could not only be answering that question, but could be the goaltending bridge the organization is looking for.
Springfield Thunderbirds play earned his audition
Romanov's 2026 Calder Cup playoff run, with a 1.84 GAA and .939 SV% and two shutouts while knocking out both Charlotte and Providence, has shown the organization what he is capable of. His performance is exactly why Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong handed him a two-year, two-way extension through the 2027-28 season.
With Joel Hofer (26) taking the reins as the number one goaltender in St. Louis, and Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Jordan Binnington (33) entering into the final season of his contract, there is a void as to who could take the future backup position in St. Louis.
Romanov could not only be the elder netminder in Springfield to Will Cranley (24), but the goaltender who logs 40-plus starts, a save percentage north of .910, and serves as a dependable recall option if an injury strikes. If he can establish himself as a legitimate NHL backup candidate for 2027-28, he gives St. Louis the flexibility and a Binnington replacement option when his contract expires.
Clearing room for the next wave of goalies
The timing of Romanov's ascension could check multiple boxes simultaneously for the rest of the goaltending pipeline. Prospect goaltender Love Harenstam (19) is coming off a dominant Goaltender of the Year season in HockeyAllsvenskan and a WJC gold-medal season, and is staying in Sweden for the 2026-27 season. Fellow goaltending prospect Marcus Gidlof (20) is also playing in the same league this season, continuing his development in the Swedish second-tier league.
Fast forward one season, 2027-28 could see Romanov earning the NHL backup role behind Hofer, clearing a spot in Springfield for either goaltender to play alongside Cranley without cluttering the depth chart.
Romanov is not expected to be the long-term goaltender of the franchise. Hofer is the starter for now and the future, while Harenstam and Gidlof continue to develop and hopefully one day push themselves to be the starter of tomorrow. What the Blues could have found, however, is the bridge to get the Blues to that point.
If his upcoming season in Springfield looks more like the postseason run than his 9-12-4 and .896 SV% regular season, St. Louis will have an inexpensive, capable backup option ready as their top goaltending prospects become ready to cross the pond.
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