Could St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer get an offer sheet starting on July 1 when he becomes a restricted free agent? (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4dc4a6c7-a020-4a13-b725-be3aeec12891.jpeg] Could St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer get an offer sheet starting on July 1 when he becomes a restricted free agent? (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images) ST. LOUIS -- Everyone knows what St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong did prior to last season with a double whammy offer sheet to defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/players/broberg-holloway-wont-shy-away-embrace-pressure-of-signing-offer-sheets] with the Edmonton Oilers. Did those pave the way for GM's across the league to do the same moving forward, especially with the NHL's salary cap going up to $95.5 million next season, which also leaves wiggle room for teams to match those offer sheets as well. Could Blues goalie Joel Hofer, who is slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1, be a target for teams in search of a No. 1 goalie? Armstrong has already said the Blues would match any potential targets they may encounter, even suggesting those players would get re-signed making it a moot point, like he did with Jake Neighbours when the forward inked a` two-year, $7.5 million ($3.75 million average annual value) contract on Oct. 22 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/neighbours-signs-two-year-extension-with-st-louis-blues]. But what about the 24-year-old Hofer, who was 16-8-3 with a 2.64 goals-against average and .904 save percentage this past season. He's been the backup for Jordan Binnington, who has two years remaining on his six-year, $36 million ($6 million AAV) contract left [https://capwages.com/players/jordan-binnington]. Hofer has started 61 games the past two seasons and went 31-20-4, which equates to a solid starter record. It's a reason why the Blues have one of the better tandems in the league with a Binnington-Hofer punch. There's no suggestion that the Blues would be willing to part with the 31-year-old Binnington, and Hofer, coming off a two-year, $1.55 million contract, wouldn't want to see if he could step into a starter's role elsewhere? What if he waits another three weeks and hits the market where he's prone to signing an offer sheet? According to capwages.com, they have Hofer projected to net a two-year contract with a AAV of just a little more than $2.8 million. That seems fair. But what if a team comes with longer term and a higher AAV? What do the Blues do? The options behind Hofer are Colten Ellis, who had a terrific season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League this past season, and Vadim Zherenko, who is also a RFA with arbitration rights. There have been some whispers that Zherenko could return to Europe this summer. Would the Blues trust Ellis to be a backup at the NHL level with little experience and let Hofer go? Hard to see that happening. First off, Binnington's contract is set to expire following the 2026-27 season. He will be 33 then, still in solid playing years and condition. Will they keep him moving forward, and is that something Hofer considers here? Is that something the Blues have to factor in? What would be the compensation they get for Hofer should they let him leave and would it be worth it? Hofer won't be the only potential RFA vulnerable to offer sheets. We raised the potential of the Blues looking into this route again on two centers that could be very viable and beneficial to their thought process of building a better roster for the upcoming season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/blues-don-t-have-leverage-to-offer-sheet-could-they-look-to-trade-for-potential-rfas-for-center-help-at-what-cost], but it should be and interesting couple of weeks leading to July 1. There will be teams in the hunt for goaltending, and Hofer's youth and experience will be very intriguing for teams. Stay tuned.
