Söderblom and Drew Commesso look like Chicago's best netminding bets for the long term. Jaxson Stauber also is in the mix, while oft-injured veteran Petr Mrazek remains under contract.
Heading into next season, the Blackhawks will have at least four goaltenders under contract to backstop a team that should be invigorated by presumptive No. 1 NHL draft pick Connor Bedard.
Chicago came to terms with Arvid Söderblom on May 10 for a two-year deal that pays $962,500 per season and runs through 2024-25. The 23-year-old Swede joins Petr Mrazek, Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso as goalies who have signed deals with the Blackhawks.
Popular and energetic netminder Alex Stalock, a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, was an unrestricted free agent heading into summer.
Söderblom, was 2-10-2 in 15 games with the Blackhawks during 2022-23, posting a 3.45 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. The 6-foot-3, 179-pound goalie made his NHL debut in 2021-22, playing in three games with Chicago.
Söderblom in action against Vegas in December 2022.Söderblom spent most of this time in the AHL last year, going 15-12-5 record with a 2.92 GAA and a .905 save percentage during the regular season with the Rockford. He was the only netminder the IceHogs used in five 2023 Calder Cup playoff games, posting a 3.18 GAA and a .895 save percentage. Rockford was swept from the second round by Texas, 3-0.
Mrazek, hobbled by a groin injury the past two seasons, is set to play out the final year of a three-year contract with a annual salary cap hit of $3.8 million. He signed the deal with Toronto for before 2021-22 and the Blackhawks inherited it in a July 2022 trade with the Maple Leafs.
Stauber, 24, signed a two-year deal with the Blackhawks in March 2022 that pays a total of $1.85 million. It includes an annual cap hit of $883,720 plus a $82,500 signing bonus.
The 24-year-old Minnesotan was impressive as he made his NHL debut this season, playing six games with the Blackhawks in January and February and going 5-1 with a 2.81 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Stauber was 6-8-0 in 17 games with a 3.32 goals-against and .894 save percentage for Rockford.
Long-term, Commesso is Chicago’s most highly-rated goalie, ranking No. 5 overall on the Blackhawks overall prospect list. (See story on prospect updates.)
Drew Commesso with BU last season.Commesso signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on April 11 and a PTO with Rockford.
As junior at Boston University last season, the Commesso continued to hone his angles game as the No. 1 goalie on a powerhouse team. The Massachusetts native led the Terriers to the NCAA Frozen Hour before they lost to Minnesota.
Commesso overcame a hamstring injury and illness last season, as well as a couple of shaky starts, but finished with a 24-8-0 record, 2.46 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. He uses his frame and mechanics to let pucks strike him, although Commesso can come up with the flashy save.
The IceHogs released Commesso from his professional tryout, and he joined Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia from May 12 to May 28.