Joel Hofer won't get the chance to sign an offer sheet. The Blues made sure of that by signing the pending restricted free agent on Saturday to a two-year extension worth $3.4 million a season, on average.
Hofer was scheduled to become an RFA on July 1, allowing him to potentially negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. The possibility was not one that worried Blues general manager Doug Armstrong earlier this week, when he warned teams that they could chase Hofer, but they wouldn't get him.
Hofer turns 25 on July 30 and just finished his second full season in the NHL as Jordan Binnington's backup in Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ. Last season, Hofer played in 31 games and had a 16-8-3 record to go with a .904 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average.
Hofer was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.
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With Hofer signed, the Blues no longer have any pending RFAs on their NHL roster. Jake Neighbours would have been an RFA, but he signed an extension in October to keep him in Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ.
The Blues drafted Justin Carbonneau in the first round on Friday night, picking the right-handed winger with the 19th selection of the evening.
Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ picked Carbonneau with the 19th pick after he had 46 goals and 43 assists in 62 games for Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL.
Doug Armstrong enters his swan song summer as general manager aiming to stay the course but ready to read and react.
