Joel Hofer enters the 2026-27 NHL season with aspirations of locking down the No. 1 goaltender role for the St. Louis Blues, but the 26-year-old faces several challenges, some he can control and others he can't.
Joel Hofer broke out in a major way during the 2025-26 season for the St. Louis Blues.
He started a career-high 43 games and played in a career-high 46. He posted a .910 save percentage, the second-highest of his NHL career, and a career-high 2.61 goals-against average. He also registered the second-most shutouts in the NHL with six, which was once again a career-high.
But his success goes further. According to moneypuck.com, Hofer posted 11.7 goals saved above expected, tying for the 11th most in the NHL.
Hofer checked off every box of a No. 1 starter. He showed he could handle an increased workload while not only keeping his level of play but also improving. At 26 years old, the 6-foot-5 Canadian netminder gave the Blues every reason to believe he is the No. 1 goaltender above Jordan Binnington right now and heading into the future.
There are a few challenges Hofer faces heading into the 2026-27 season. The first obvious challenge is that the Blues need Hofer to replicate his success. With a career save percentage of .909 and consistent performances over the past three seasons, there is a high level of confidence that Hofer will replicate that production.
The second challenge is that Hofer enters a critical season for his future. This campaign will be the second and final season of Hofer's two-year, $3.4 million contract. A strong performance as a No. 1 should earn him a long-term deal at a very respectable price, especially due to the demand for goaltenders and his age. An element that should help Hofer feel more secure about his future with the Blues is that he is a restricted free agent.
Unless he is traded or signs an offer sheet after the Blues tender him a qualifying offer, he'll be back with the Blues. His play during the season will determine how long the deal is, the dollar amount, and whether he signs a deal in-season, as the Blues have done very frequently with RFAs performing at a high level.
But the final challenge Hofer faces is the one he has no control over: Binnington's performance. Binnington remains a fan favorite, an experienced veteran goaltender with a Stanley Cup, an Olympic silver medal, and plenty of NHL success. Binnington, too, is entering the final year of his contract, but he is an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team on July 1, 2027.
There have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding Binnington, but so far, the Blues have elected to keep the 33-year-old.
If Binnington posts similar numbers to his .873 save percentage as he did during the 2025-26 season, Hofer should have no issues locking down the No. 1 role. But if Binnington bounces back to his 2024-25 season, he'll likely steal starts from Hofer and see the Blues crease become more of a tandem.
The Blues have aspirations of making the playoffs, and they'll need excellent goaltending to do so. Can Joel Hofer overcome these challenges and be the man for the job?
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