d they In his brief NHL career so far, Joel Hofer has established himself as a reliable goaltender with the St. Louis Blues. In four seasons with the Blue Note, including two full seasons as the Blues backup goalie, Hofer has gone 35-22-5 with a .907 save percentage and a 2.71 goals against average. Last season, Hofer set a career high in wins and GAA. Hofer and Jordan Binnington have formed one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems.
However, Hofer is a restricted free agent this off-season. With the threat of an offer sheet looming, one has to wonder what is Hofer’s future in St. Louis?
Hofer’s Future in St. Louis
Hofer and Binnington
For the time being, Hofer’s future in St. Louis includes a tandem with Binnington, who is signed through the 2026-27 season. Binnington continues to prove he is the guy in St. Louis. He helped the Blues return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Before that, Binnington helped Team Canada win the championship at the 4 Nation Face-Off.
At 31-years old, it is unclear if the Blues will want to commit to Binnington beyond the 2026-27 season. If the team continues to commit to Binnington as the starter, Hofer’s role could be limited to a backup for the immediate future. However, the Blues could decide to gradually flip Binnington’s and Hofer’s role. This would keep the reliable tandem together, but give Hofer the opportunity as the number one.
Offer Sheet Threat
General manager Doug Armstrong made a bold choice last August when he tendered offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. However, Armstrong could face a taste of his own medicine if a team decides to tender an offer sheet to Hofer.
The risk of an offer sheet arises from Hofer’s potential. He’s young but has performed well on a contending team. Teams that are rebuilding or looking for a long-term solution in goal may be tempted to take a risk with a young goaltender with significant upside. Furthermore, the goalies available in free agency this summer are not big names. If a team is seeking a young goalie, they will not find one on the market. If an offer sheet is tendered, the Blues will need to decide if they reasonably match the offer. Should they not, they will need to seek their next backup either from within the organization or via free agency or trade.
It is worth mentioning that Hofer would have to sign an offer sheet if he is tendered one. Tendering an offer sheet alone is not enough. A player has to sign the sheet in order to leave their current team.
Bridge Deal
To avoid the threat of an offer sheet, the Blues can look to extend Hofer’s contract prior to free agency opening on July 1. A bridge deal would make the most sense. This would allow Hofer to continue developing in a backup or split role for a couple of seasons. This would give the Blues the flexibility to evaluate whether he’s ready to take over as the starter once Binnington’s contract expires.
Trade
If Hofer does not agree to an extension prior to July 1, the Blues could choose to trade the goaltender. This would only happen if the team believed an offer sheet was coming. A goalie receiving an offer sheet. However, offer sheets are rare too, but we saw two of them in August.
Trading Hofer would ensure the Blues would get more than just draft picks. They may use Hofer to obtain something they need for their current roster. Trading Hofer would not be popular. However, the Blues may feel they need to if there is a risk of him leaving without getting much in return.
The Bottom Line
If the Blues view Hofer as part of their long-term future in net, they may have to act quickly to extend. The alternative is running the risk of an offer sheet, or possibly trading him to get a larger return.
Once the Stanley Cup Final ends, things will get interesting for the Blues.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
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