The St. Louis Blues goaltending pipeline has quietly reformed into one of the more intriguing groups in the Western Conference. Not since the days of the organization holding players like Ben Bishop and Jake Allen in its ranks, battling it out for the number two and three goaltender in the pipeline, has it looked as full as it can be claimed to be these days.
While the organization will shift its goaltending duties away from the Stanley Cup-winning veteran, Jordan Binnington, to the newest starter of the foreseeable future, Joel Hofer, the pipeline has a blend of long-term upside that could prove useful over the next several seasons.
Four names currently hold down the prospect pipeline for the Blues, all under 25-years-old and each player currently sits at a different stage in their development. The question now becomes: which of the four has the ability to one day wrestle the mantle of the starting goaltender away from Hofer? Let's take a look at the goaltending pipeline for the Blues.
Will Cranley
The 24-year-old Ontario native was drafted in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and is the most seasoned goalie of the bunch. After a few seasons bouncing between the ECHL and the AHL, he showed last season that he is ready to take on the AHL full time. After a brief stint in his second season in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades, he went 14-3-1 with a 2.71 GAA and .915 save percentage in 18 games, earning enough trust from the front office to appear in 10 games for Springfield, where he went 6-4-0 with a 3.03 GAA and .892 SV%. His performance and attitude were enough to earn him a one-year, two-way contract extension.
At this point, he could continue to develop into a goaltender who pushes for a consistent backup role in the NHL one day. However, it's likely he becomes an organizational depth piece and an emergency NHL option. A full-time career is unlikely, but he can still be a reliable, career AHL goaltender.
Marcus Gidlof
Gidlof came to the Blues as part of the Brayden Schenn trade at the March 2026 trade deadline. The 6-foot-7 Swede was officially promoted full-time for the 2025-26 season in the SHL with Leksands. In 26 games, the 20-year-old recorded a 2.96 GAA, a .892 SV%, and four shutouts.
His combination of size and professional experience at such a young age is giving him a bit of an inside track as a developmental depth piece for the organization. If he can continue to grow against top level competition in the SHL, there's a real path toward Gidlof battling for significant playing time in the NHL one day.
Love Harenstam
The Blues' second rising Swedish goaltending prospect, Love Harenstam, is a name to keep an eye on. Drafted 179th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the 19-year-old had a bit of a coming-out party during the 2025-26 season. In 32 HockeyAllsvenskan games, the SHL's second-tier league, he posted a 1.81 GAA and a .920 SV% with five shutouts, earning both Goalie of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors.
Not only did he deliver above and beyond for his team this past season, but he also backstopped Team Sweden to a gold medal victory at the U20 World Juniors tournament, going undefeated with a .911 SV% and named the tournament's Best Goaltender. While he will remain in Sweden for at least one more season, Harenstam looks like he could be a potential draft steal at this point. With another season or two under his belt, Harenstam is already showing he has the tools to eventually become a tandem or starting option in the NHL.
Vladimir Proskurin
The fourth goaltender of the bunch, Proskurin, appears as the goaltender with pure upside. The fourth-round selection of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft posted a .921 SV% across 41 MHL games (the Russian junior league) and averaged just over 30 saves per night. At this stage, the projection for him could be a bit of a high-risk, high-reward type player. He has officially transferred from Russia and will be playing for the Victoria Royals for the 2026-27 season, which could help with understanding more about his projection.
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