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The St. Louis Blues were quite strong in the second half of the regular season last year, and their success allowed them to make the playoffs under first-year head coach Jim Montgomery. The Blues tightened defensively and scored enough clutch goals to finish with a winning record and give the team a strong jumping off point for the 2025-26 season. The Blues are quite secure with their goaltending, and the team signed backup goal Joel Hofer to a contract extension.
Hofer and the Blues came to an agreement on a two-year, $6.8 million deal after the goalie appeared in 31 games last season. He started 28 times and finished with a 16-8-3 record that included a 2.64 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Hofer recorded one shutout during the season.
Hofer is the backup to No. 1 goalie Jordan Binnington, and the partnership has worked out well. Binnington established himself as a championship-worthy goalie when he backstopped the Blues to their only Stanley Cup in 2019. Since that time, Binnington has been somewhat inconsistent. He often looks brilliant when he is at the top of his game, but consistency has been an issue for him. As a result. Montgomery can feel comfortable when he turns to Hofer to give the Blues solid goaltending. He appears to be one of the better back-up goaltenders in the NHL.
Blues hoping for more consistency in 2025-26
While the team's surge in the second half of the season was admirable, and the Blues had a memorable first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets before losing the seventh game in double overtime, Montgomery would like to see his team get off to a solid start and challenge for one of the top three spots in the Central Division of the Western Conference.
The Blues have strength up the middle with Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Dylan Holloway all playing center and finishing last season as the team's leading scorers. Thomas scored 21 goals and 60 assists for a team-leading 81 points, while Kyrou found the back of the net 36 times and scored 70 points. Kyrou is being considered as a trade candidate in the offseason.
If the Blues can get better production from their wings and the combination of Binnington and Hofer can continue to perform at a high level, the team should have every chance to be successful in the upcoming season. It is vital for contending teams to have confidence in their backup goaltender. If the No. 1 goalie is forced to play as many as 60 games during the regular season, it can wear down the starter and diminish his play in the postseason.
Hofer takes much of the pressure off of Binnington, and that part of the Blues game looks dependable going forward.
