The St. Louis Blues biggest issue of the 2025-26 season has been their lackluster play from between the pipes. You can absolutely make the argument about the defense not being up to standard, and the offense having little to no pressure on the other end of the ice, but this franchise has lived and died by the goaltending.
That is no different this season, and the current record of 6-9-4 for 16 points reflects that.
A valid point has been made about the Blues looking externally for a goaltender to try to save the season, which is a very smart route at this time. But what if they could look internally?
Can anyone in the Blues goaltending pipeline step up and make an impact?
Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington not finding a rhythm
Both Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have not been able to get in a groove this season. They have both been offbeat, and there has been no progress made through the first 19 games of the year to try and settle in for the long haul.
Binnington has a record of 4-5-3 with a save percentage of .869 and a Goals Against Average of 3.34. Definitely not ideal for your franchise goaltender, who is still in the "prime" of his career. The entire country of Canada is hoping for him to turn it around come Olympics time, as he was supposed to be the starting goaltender again, much like the Four Nations Face-off.
Hofer, who was supposed to be in line for Binnington's throne, has taken a major leap backwards this season. With a record of 2-4-1, that stat line looks prettier than what his play has actually looked like. Did the Blues make a mistake in bringing back Hofer and letting go of someone like Colten Ellis to Buffalo?
Internal replacement?
There have been three goaltenders to suit up for Springfield this season, at the American Hockey League level. Vadim Zherenko, Georgi Romanov, and Will Cranley have played this season, with Zherenko getting most of the reps.
If you have not been paying attention to Springfield this season, they are doing worse than the Blues are. They hold a record of 2-10-1-1, which sits at the bottom of the entire league. You can probably see where this is going with the goalie's numbers, but hear me out.
Of the three goaltenders, the only one who could possibly get a shot is Zherenko. With a 2-4-2, a save percentage of .896, and a Goals Against Average of 3.27, why not give him a chance? Both Romanov and Cranley are possibilities, but neither is ready to make that kind of jump.
The Blues are in such a funk at the moment, and this current road trip can either set them straight or break them completely. There is no in between. If Binnington or Hofer cannot get it together over the next five games, Hofer will have to be either moved down or out of the Blues organization, leaving Zhenko with a possible chance.
But, that would happen if not for an external move from General Manager Doug Armstrong. With numbers similar to the two NHLers in net, why not give Zherenko a shot at some NHL action?