Over the weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks extended Arvid Soderblom. He avoided arbitration by signing a two-year deal with a cap hit of $2.7 million. This is a deal that Soderblom earned through his play in the 2024-25 season.
There were times that he was a backup, there was a time where he was getting the net with the frequency of a starter, and he split time for a stretch.
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His first half of the season was better than his second, but he still finished with a 3.18 goals against average and .898 save percentage.
Those numbers still need work, but they are respectable based on the context of the team that’s been in front of him. Soderblom’s improvement has been steady.
Despite his successes in 2024-25, plus his new contract extension, Soderblom will have to earn his spot on the team again. Injuries played a role in his making it last year, and he succeeded. Now, it’s time to do it again.
Spencer Knight is surely going to be the starter in 2025-26. Chicago landed him as their big return in the Seth Jones trade with the Florida Panthers. If he’s the goalie that everybody thinks he can be based on his talent and pedigree, he’ll be a long-term mainstay.
The role of backup goalie to Spencer Knight remains the question. Soderblom has the inside track based on 2024-25, but Drew Commesso’s name is in the mix now.
Commesso has some pedigree as well, being a former second-round pick (46th overall). Last season with the Rockford IceHogs was sensational. Commesso had a 2.54 goals against and a .911 save percentage over 39 games.
The second half of the AHL season saw Commesso get hot. Rockford won their first-round series over the Chicago Wolves in the process, but lost a tough five-game series to the Milwaukee Admirals in five.
In the middle of the season, Commesso did make his NHL debut, but the Blackhawks didn’t need him for more than a couple of games. Now, he could make it a competition with Soderblom for the role of the backup. Both goalies will come to camp looking to make the team.
This is Soderblom’s role to lose, but everything must be earned at this point. The team is still rebuilding, but the number of available jobs is dwindling.
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