Exploring the Blues Goalie Prospects and Their Shift in the Depth Chart
- Vanessa
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
The St. Louis Blues currently have three goalies in their prospect system who are vying for the coveted 3rd place on the depth chart. With Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer at the helm for the NHL team Blues have plenty of time to let their goalie prospects develop at a steady pace. What these goalies do with this opportunity is entirely in their hands.
The current situation the Blues are looking at this offseason, they have one goalie, Vadim Zherenko is an RFA this offseason and will need to be qualified. The other two goalies, Colten Ellis and Will Cranley, were extended during the season, with Ellis being extended to 2027 and Cranley extended to 2026. I fully expect the Blues to extend Zherenko once this offseason kicks into gear.
Colten Ellis
Drafted in the 2019 draft in the third round, Colten Ellis was ranked 8th among goaltenders from North America and was drafted late in the 3rd round. Since his jump to the professional level of hockey, he has made the best strides in terms of development among the three goalies. During the last season of Joel Hofer's stint in the AHL, Ellis made 6 appearances and posted an average stat line of 3.93 goals allowed and a save% % of .880 with a record of 1-3-3. This level of play is rather consistent for someone fresh out of the Canadian Juniors as they graduate to the pro level.
In his first full season as the backup for the Springfield Thunderbirds, he adjusted to the level of play very quickly, posting a 2.89 goals allowed and a .924 save %, although he did end with a losing record of 7-9-0. This past season, his stock in the Blues system has continued to rise, where he has even stolen the starter role from his tandem mate in Zherenko. The Thunderbirds have benefited from a further improved record of 22-14-5 a 2.63 goals allowed, and a .922 Save% % and his first 3 professional level shutouts.
Vadim Zherenko
Vadim Zherenko was a 7th-round pick in the 2019 draft and was among the lower half of the 7th-rounders. Many believe that players taken at that point in drafts are true shots in the dark for talent and potential. Zherenko, up until the beginning of the 2023-2024 season, was seen as a great find who might actually push for time at the NHL level within a few years. Since then, however, Zherenko has unfortunately shown a steady but subtle decline, which has also caused him to lose the starter role in the AHL.
While his stats seemed good in his first professional season, other teams at the AHL level have shown some of the cracks that are glaring in his skill set in the net. His goals allowed average has seemed to stabilize around the 3.40 range while his save% % has steadily dwindled lower and lower, with this past season's .897 Sv% being his worst so far. And this past season's tribulations for him were the nails in the coffin that have solidified his role as the AHL backup behind Ellis.
Will Cranley
Will Cranley was a 6th-round draft pick from the 2020 draft before the world descended into pandemic hell. Cranley is one of the three goalies from the 2020 draft who were stunted in their growth thanks to the aftereffects of the pandemic. While he struggled for his final 2 years of Canadian Juniors, his debut into the professional level of play was at best subpar. Playing mainly in the ECHL, Cranley struggled a lot with both his save percentage and goals allowed.
While his last year was a decent improvement, I would put that result on the backs of his teammates in the ECHL. Playing on the Florida Everblades will soften stats showing how good their defense play which helps any goalie's stats by a decent percentage. While he has shown to finally be on track to start proving his worth, it's no wonder the Blues are at least giving Cranley 1 more season for them to decide if he might have a spot in the not-too-distant future.
With all three goalies around the same age, it may do some good to draft some new young goalie(s) either this draft or the next draft. I do hope that Cranley can continue to improve his game and show there is still gas in the tank. Zherenko, on the other hand, needs to figure out what is not working and try to figure out what he needs to do. Ellis may push the Blues to make a decision as early as next offseason if he continues to improve at the steady rate he is currently on. The Blues are soon to be at a crossroads for their goalie depth, but even if they add a goalie this upcoming draft, these three goalies already in the system will still benefit with more time to develop.
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