Looking at the goaltending situation in St. Louis, it is following the same trend as the rest of the franchise. It is shifting entirely, and in the direction toward the youth.Â
Jordan Binnington has been the last line of defense for over a decade, but now he is being slotted down for a potential franchise goaltender. Joel Hofer has not officially been given the keys, but it is essentially a guarantee.Â
For the upcoming season, what would the ideal goaltending split look like? Would it be smart to hurl 60 starts at Hofer to see what he has in him, or is a 50/50 approach best?Â
Let’s talk about it.Â
Baptism by fireÂ
If General Manager Alexander Steen wants to really make an impression on this fan based it has to be done through Hofer. Throw him as many starts as possible, and watch him sink or swim.Â
Last season, Hofer held his own with a respectable record of 24-13-5 and a save percentage of .909. This was leagues better than Binnington’s, who was never able to enter a groove much of the season. Part of that is the defense to blame, but it was also a lack of effort in net from No. 50.Â
With some help from Brandon Carlo on the defensive side and the sophomore NHL season for Logan Mailloux, the expectation is that the blue line will be much better. Hence why giving Hofer as many starts is a good thing, not a bad one.Â
Hofer has an interesting case to try to earn his spot while also being the starter. Sometimes, goalies are moved up if a trade is made, or the starter leaves in free agency, or if injuries happen. No. 30 has a chance to earn it by his own hand.Â
A 60/24 split between Hofer and Binnington sounds realistic, and the expectation is that Binnington won’t even reach the full 24 starts due to a move looming at the Trade Deadline in March.Â
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