The script has truly flipped for the St. Louis Blues, as their goaltending has been absolutely lights out since the Olympic break. Perhaps most importantly, the bulk of netminding duties has been transferred to Joel Hofer, the heir-apparent to Jordan Binnington. Since the Olympics, Hofer's been borderline unbeatable, sporting a 6-0-2 record, a .955 save percentage (SV%) and 1.4 Goals Against Average (GAA). Two of those eight games were shutouts, and this week's win over the Washington Capitals has moved Hofer into rarified air.
J0el H0fer. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/iUUTPfgYnB
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 25, 2026
Hofer is now second in the league in shutouts, and his total of six is one behind the presumptive favorite for the Vezina trophy, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders. Hofer's the first Blue to post six shutouts since Jake Allen did it at the same age in 2015-16; Allen followed that season with another four shutouts, and again blanked opponents four times in a season with the New Jersey Devils in 2024-25. Six shutouts remains Allen's high watermark.
The Blues still have 12 games left to play in the season, so Hofer should have a few opportunities to go for lucky number seven to try and match Sorokin. It's too little, too late for the Blues' playoff hopes, but it bodes extremely well for next year, when Hofer should be getting the bulk of the starts--especially if Binnington ends up traded in the offseason. If Hofer is indeed capable of handling a starters' workload, perhaps it will force the Blues to adjust their summer plans.
The next Blues game is Thursday, as they welcome the San Jose Sharks.