When Tom Kurver’s Prospect Showcase finished on Sept. 15, the St. Louis Blues had the opportunity to see which one of their recently drafted prospects would show promise for the future. The one who made a big impression was goaltender Vadim Zherenko in the opening game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blues won the contest in overtime 4-3; however, Zherenko was stellar in the third period, making some great saves to push for overtime. Zherenko’s performance could be a stepping stone toward competition for the Blues’ backup position. Here’s a look at what makes Zherenko worth a preseason call-up to compete for a spot.
Zherenko’s Showcase Performance Could Reflect Positively
Against the Blackhawks, Zherenko finished with 26 saves on 29 shots for a .897 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.00 goals-against average (GAA). Despite those numbers, his third-period performance was terrific and should make him worth considering for a preseason start.
He is on the training camp roster and will compete with Blues tandem Jordan Binnington, Joel Hofer, and Will Craney, who also played in the prospect showcase. Colton Ellis and David Tendeck will also be involved in the training camp. However, Binnington and Hofer are the two that Zherenko will have to compete with for any chance at a roster spot.
This is not the first time the Blues had two of their best goalies face some competition from an up-and-coming goaltender like Zherenko. In 2012-13, goaltenders Brian Elliott, Jaroslav Halak, and Jake Allen all played 12 or more games, with Elliott playing the most at 24.
A season after that, in 2013-14, it was Elliott, Halak, and Ryan Miller all playing 19 or more games. However, Halak was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, which gave the Blues Miller in return. Then in 2021-22, the Blues had four goaltenders to choose from: Binnington, Ville Husso, Charlie Lindgren, and Hofer. Finally, with Hofer ready for action, they kept him in the mix with Binnington and Thomas Greiss, who made Blues history in his debut in the 2022-23 season.
With Zherenko, we could see a repeat of the goaltending situations we’ve witnessed in the last 10 or 11 seasons of Blues goaltending.
Zherenko’s Decent AHL Career Will Back up His Preseason Performance
Zherenko has played with the Blues’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Springfield Firebirds for two seasons. So far, he has a record of 21-22-4, .908 SV%, a 3.33 GAA, and one shutout in 54 games. His save percentage looks good, but something must be done about his GAA if he wants to make a serious push for NHL playing time.
In his first season with the Thunderbirds, in 2022-23, he played 25 games and finished with a record of 10-9-3, a .913 SV%, and a 3.13 GAA. It wasn’t until last season, in 2023-24, that he started to slump. He played four more games (29) compared to the previous season and finished with a record of 12-14-1, a .904 SV%, a 3.49 GAA, and earned his first AHL shutout.
Again, he played more games and was a starter for the first time in his AHL career last season. With former Thunderbirds starter Malcolm Subban traded the previous season to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Zherenko has an entire season in the AHL to prove himself as a full-time starter. The expectation now is that he will be able to handle a starting role in the AHL consistently better and hopefully build on the mistakes he made last season.
The excellent news for Zherenko is that Binnington is 31 and getting close to the end of his career. This means the Blues could be looking for someone to take the backup role, assuming Hofer will be the new starter. Also, there was a lot of speculation last season about whether Binnington would be traded, meaning the Blues are open to moving him for the right price once they are ready.
Zherenko is also in one of the best goaltending pipelines in the league and will most likely find his stride to become a top contender for an NHL call-up.
Where the Blues Go From Here With Zherenko
Even though Zherenko might not look like the obvious choice for a call-up right now, as a third-string choice, it would not hurt the Blues to try him out. Nonetheless, it would be more beneficial if he played in the AHL for two more seasons before he’s considered ready for the NHL level. Still, should anything happen to either of the Blues’ goaltenders this season, Zherenko could get the call and make his NHL debut.
After all, Binnington didn’t get to play an entire season with the Blues roster until he was 25, and that was in the 2018-19 season when the team won their first-ever Stanley Cup. Right now, Zherenko is only 23 and has plenty of time to gain enough experience at the NHL level like Binnington and Hofer did around his age.
