There are plenty of up-and-coming goalies that organizations are excited to see enter into the NHL down the line or even this coming season. Some will turn out to be exactly what teams hope and are gamechangers, some will surprise, and others will be a wasted effort. For many of these goaltenders, we won't know for quite a bit.
Elite prospects released a ranking of the top-20 goalie prospects, but no Chicago Blackhawks appeared. Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom aren't considered prospects, but Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan sure are.
In a story by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, Commesso was actually mentioned, but that list goes deeper and includes 25 goalie prospects. Commesso is ranked 25 with Gajan as the first notable mention.
Within the Blackhawks organization, it seems as though Gajan might have the higher upside, but he had a tough season in the NCAA, going 7-12-1 with a 3.33 GAA and .885 SV%. But one season doesn't define his trajectory. How he follows up will play a big part though.
Commesso, on the other hand, took a step forward and is why he may now be considered the better goalie prospect. He is 23 years old and has two pro seasons under his belt. Both are former second round picks. Commesso finished last season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL going 18-15-4 with a 2.54 GAA and .911 SV% in 38 games. He also got into two games for the Blackhawks, his results being okay, but hard to judge based on the team in front of him.
There are two other goalie prospects to now take note of in the Blackhawks' system, Stanislav Berezhnoy, a 22-year-old who played in the VHL last season and appeared in the KHL for a game, as well as 2025 seventh-round pick Ilya Kanarsky, who went 21-8-1 in the MHL last season with a 2.24 GAA and .938 SV%. Both will have to prove more against better competition, then we will start hearing more about them.
Maybe any of the four goalie prospects the Blackhawks have will climb the rankings next season. That would be the hope for the organization.
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