The St. Louis Blues are entering this off-season with a handful of players on expiring deals. This includes goaltender Joel Hofer, as he is a pending restricted free agent (RFA).
When it comes to the Blues' current pending free agents, Hofer is easily, without a doubt, the most important for St. Louis to get signed to a new contract. The 24-year-old goaltender is emerging as a key part of the Blues' roster and has the potential to hit a new level as he continues to gain more NHL experience.
Hofer has been discussed as a potential offer sheet candidate around the league, especially with this year's unrestricted free agent (UFA) goalie market being weak. However, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong recently made it clear that the club will not let any team take him away from St. Louis. This is entirely understandable, as Hofer is exactly the kind of goalie that the Blues should want to keep around.
Hofer had a solid 2024-25 season as the Blues' backup, as he posted a 16-8-3 record, a 2.64 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage, and one shutout. This was after he recorded a 15-12-1 record, a .913 save percentage, and a 2.65 goals-against average. With numbers like these, he has been a dependable backup for the Blues.
Overall, getting Hofer signed to his next contract should be one of the Blues' biggest priorities this off-season. A bridge deal may be the best course of action for both the player and the team. It will be interesting to see what his next deal looks like from here.
Blues GM Provides Big Update About Exciting Prospect
While speaking to reporters, including St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Matthew DeFranks,<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues"> St. Louis Blues</a> general manager Doug Armstrong shared that prospect defenseman Theo Lindstein will play in North America next season.
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