On Monday (June 17), a former St. Louis Blues goaltender was hired as the team’s new goaltending scout and development coach, just a week after the Blues hired their former forward Alexander Steen as their new general manager in 2026. Elliott and Steen played several seasons together, so it seems interesting how current Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is aligning the front office with talented players and goaltenders from the Blues’ past.
As for Elliott, he played five seasons with the Blues between 2011 and 2016, so he can bring many things to the lineup and the franchise that could benefit the Blues. Here are some things to expect from Elliott since he was appointed to his new role.
Joel Hofer Will Be Under Elliott’s Wing
Joel Hofer has already played incredibly this season with the Blues and can be better with Elliott by his side as a development coach. This season was his first full one, and he ended it off with a record 15-12-1, followed by a save percentage (SV%) of .914, a goals against average (GAA) of 2.65, and a shutout, which was his first in the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing behind starter Jordan Binnington, who was in trade talks ahead of the 2024 Trade Deadline, Hofer will most likely be working with Elliott to turn himself into a potential starter candidate for the Blues if Binnington is surprisingly traded this offseason.
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If not a starter, Hofer could potentially be in a tandem role with Binnington to share the starting role as Elliott did with Jaroslav Halak and Jake Allen during his time with the Blues. He is the perfect choice to develop the goaltending on this team with his experiences.
Though he hasn’t won a Stanley Cup with the Blues as Binnington did, he has much deep playoff experience, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, which served as a backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy. He has been through some challenging moments, such as the 2016 Western Conference Finals Series between the Blues and San Jose Sharks, which ended in a 4-2 series loss. Elliott was the starter in that series, and it was the closest he’s ever been to advancing the Blues to the Stanley Cup Final.
Continue the Blues’ Incredible Goaltending Luck
If there is one thing the Blues have been good at for a decade now, it’s drafting or trading for a solid goaltender to build around their team. So far, Binnington, Hofer, Allen, and Ben Bishop are under the draft category of top goaltenders selected by the Blues, and maybe we can throw in Ville Husso, but he’s been on a decline since being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 2022. As the new goaltending scout for the Blues, I expect him to keep the Blues lucky at finding the best possible talent.
The Blues have also traded and signed some fantastic goaltending over the years, with Elliott, Halak, and Charlie Lindgren under the Blues goaltending lineup through trades and signings. They’ve all posted good numbers, and Halak and Elliott primarily have been awarded the William H. Jennings Award for goaltenders who played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Halak and Elliot have won it with the Blues once, and it shows how far along the Blues are with their successful eye on goaltending.
Although Hofer will most likely be the go-to starter if Binnington is gone, there is no need for the Blues to use Elliott’s expertise to find a goalie for which they can sign or trade. However, he can be helpful if worse comes to worst and the Blues need to make changes; his scouting role can apply to scouting throughout the NHL for goaltenders.
In the past, despite having some great goaltenders, the Blues have kept their drafted goaltenders within their system for future call-ups, which has benefited them greatly with Allen, Binnington, and Hofer. Bishop was called up a few times but never really panned out the way the other three did; however, after being traded in 2011-12 to the Ottawa Senators, his career took off successfully, winning the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender in the NHL twice afterward.
Closing Thoughts
With the NHL Draft coming up on June 28, Elliott’s help could benefit their draft stock if they choose to select a goalie at any point. In a draft class loaded with defensemen, a goalie will probably be selected later, around the late second or early third round. Still, there are many great options, including 18-year-old Carter George on the Owen Sound, who won gold with Team Canada at the U-18 World Junior Championship in May and was named the Best Goaltender of the Tournament.
With that said, the Blues have two picks in the second round (48th and 56th overall) to grab him early if no one else does ahead of them. Though the Blues are content with goaltending right now, it wouldn’t hurt to continue the chain of good goalie prospects, especially if they select a younger goaltender like George. With Elliott developing him, it would also help make it much easier and quicker to play him in the NHL at some point. However, we don’t know who the Blues will consider in the second round, and they should focus more on what they need if goaltending is already filled in.
