Goaltending took center stage for the Blues on the second day of the draft, as the club first extended Joel Hofer with a two-year contract then drafted their first netminder in five years in the sixth round.
Hofer was set to become a restricted free agent on Tuesday, but instead signed a two-year deal Saturday afternoon carrying a $3.4 million cap hit. The pact will allow his contract to expire at the same time as Jordan Binnington鈥檚 contract ($6 million cap hit) in the summer of 2027.
Blues goalie Joel Hofer reaches for the puck in a game against Chicago on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Enterprise Center.
In signing Hofer, the Blues removed any possibility of an offer sheet and kept together the tandem they鈥檝e used in each of the last two seasons. During his two full NHL seasons, Hofer played in 61 games, going 31-20-4 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.65 goals against average.
Hofer will turn 25 years old on July 30.
With Hofer signed, the Blues don鈥檛 have any remaining NHL-level RFAs. Jake Neighbours would have been a RFA this summer, but chose to sign a two-year extension ($3.75 million cap hit) in October.
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Hofer鈥檚 $3.4 million cap hit gives the Blues more clarity entering free agency on Tuesday, as they now have about $2.5 million in cap space. That figure is with the roster as currently constructed, including Ryan Suter鈥檚 bonus overage of more than $2 million.
The Blues, however, can create $6.5 million more of cap space this summer by placing Torey Krug on long-term injured reserve, giving them purchasing power of about $9 million.
Hofer is the last goalie drafted by the Blues to play in 51黑料. Sixth-rounder Love Harenstam hopes to be the next one after the Blues took him with the 179th pick on Saturday afternoon.
Harenstam (his first name is pronounced Loo-vay) represented Sweden in the U-18 World Championship and played in the nation鈥檚 U-20 league last season.
鈥淟ove was the No. 1 goaltender on the Swedish U-18 team,鈥 Blues amateur scouting director Tony Feltrin said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a bright future. He鈥檚 got athleticism and has produced.鈥
Harenstam became the first goalie taken by the Blues since the franchise took Will Cranley in the sixth round in 2020. The Blues used their next 29 picks after Cranley on either forwards or defensemen.
In drafting Harenstam, the Blues also made use of Brian Elliott, who just completed his first season as goaltending scout and development coach. Feltrin said the Blues relied on both Elliott and NHL goaltending coach David Alexander in scouting the goalies.
鈥(That) staff that has greater knowledge on the goaltender front,鈥 Feltrin said. 鈥淲e consider ourselves somewhat layman in our goaltender evaluations, especially when we hear the terminology that they utilize. 鈥 Brian was very diligent and we had constant communication. It鈥檚 working well. Now, we鈥檒l reap the rewards, hopefully.鈥
Harenstam (6-1, 196 pounds) is not expected to be at Blues development camp next week at Centene Community Ice Center. Forward Mikhail Fyodorov, taken at No. 147 in the fifth round, is anticipated to be there, though.
Fyodorov (5-11, 152 pounds) played last season with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk in the Russian MHL. He had 17 goals and 26 assists in 45 games. He is a left-handed shooting winger.
鈥淪killed player,鈥 Feltrin said. 鈥淰ery good edges, nifty, quick puck skills. There鈥檚 some offensive ability there. He can really snap a puck. Not the biggest body, physical maturity to come. We did lots of video work on him. We have a Russian-based scout that saw him a number of times. We just saw him at a recent agency camp in Florida. Skilled player.鈥
When Fyodorov and Harenstam are added to first-round Justin Carbonneau, they create a three-man draft class that is the smallest for the franchise since 1968. Back then, there were only three rounds in the draft, and the Blues had just two picks.
Carbonneau, selected at No. 19, figures to be the jewel of the class after he finished second in the QMJHL in both goals and points a season ago.
鈥淭he goal-scoring ability, the passion that he plays with, the will to score,鈥 Feltrin said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l run over top of players to take it to the net. He can score from distance with a tremendous shot. Good hands, strong compete. Lots of things to like.鈥
The Blues used their three picks on two wingers and a goaltender. It was the sixth time in franchise history they did not select a defenseman in the draft, though they used their first three picks in 2024 on blue liners.
鈥淧layers that we鈥檙e done the due diligence on, had them placed on our list in an area that we were excited about,鈥 Feltrin said.
