For much of the season, the St. Louis Blues had the absolute worst goaltending tandem in the NHL. From the Winter Olympic break on, however, the combo of Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington was lights out. Hofer, in particular, stole the show, and has fully asserted himself as the starter of the future for the Blues.
Expectations for 2025-26 season
Hofer had a solid season as Binnington's full-time backup in 2024-25, posting a .904 SV% by season's end. The expectation was that Hofer would build on that and, with any luck, usurp Binnington as the Blues' starter.
Things didn't exactly start off well. For the first half of the season, Hofer was one half of the NHL's worst goaltending platoon, and headed into the Olympic break with an .895 SV%. The Blues were playoff longshots and closer to the first-overall pick at the 2026 draft than they were the postseason.
Grade: B+
After the Olympics, though, Hofer went on a heater of all heaters. He went 12-2-2 from the end of the break through the end of the season, posting an incredible .931 SV%. It wasn't enough to get the Blues over the hump and into the playoffs, but it should leave everyone feeling confident that Hofer can be the guy.
Where does he go from here?
There should be no doubt that Hofer is in net on opening night of the 2026-27 season--this is his crease now, even if Binnington's still on the team. At 25 years old, he's just entering his prime, as goalies often reach their ceilings later than forwards and defensemen do.
Hofer will be entering the second year of his $3.4-million AAV bridge deal, and looking to play well enough for a raise on his next contract. If the Blues do trade Binnington this summer, they'll need to find someone to play as Hofer's backup--but unless Hofer has a shoddy start next year, the crease is his.
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