Goaltending is one of the most important positions in hockey, and it's also one of the most fickle. There never seems to be any consistency for most teams, and the goalie carousel is seemingly spinning faster and faster each season.
There were 103 different goalies to play in the NHL last season, including 97 who made at least one start. That's an average of over three goalies per team.
While some teams used as many as five goalies (Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken), the St. Louis Blues were one of just six teams who used only two goaltenders last season.
And, all being well health-wise, it should stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Despite getting a bit disrespected in a recent ranking, the Blues signed goaltender Joel Hofer to a two-year extension earlier this summer. He'll continue to split time with Jordan Binnington in the crease. The 32-year-old veteran also has two years left on his contract.
While there is always a trade market for goalies, the Blues might be better suited playing out these two years with a tandem of sorts while Hofer grows into his prime. The 24-year-old netminder has a few solid seasons under his belt, but goaltenders typically hit the prime later in the 20s as opposed to forwards. Utilizing him as the 1B to Binnington's 1A seems like a great plan for the next two years.
After that, the Blues can decide on both Binnington and Hofer. Binnington, of course, will be an unrestricted free agent, so St. Louis could let him walk if they believe that Hofer can take over as the starter.
Hofer will be entering his age-27 season, which is when some goalies have hit their peak in recent years. He's also a restricted free agent at the end of this contract, so the Blues will have first crack at signing him to an extension.
No matter what happens in the summer of 2027, Blues fans can rest assured that they have two solid goalies to share the crease for the next few seasons.