Mrazek has had a heavy workload and is playing well, but needs to stay healthy with balance and support.
Mrazek has had a heavy workload and is playing well, but needs to stay healthy with balance and support.
Petr Mrazek had a great season in 2023-24 for the Chicago Blackhawks and really held the inexperienced team together all season. Despite his losing record, he was arguably the team MVP alongside Connor Bedard.
This season hasn't started the way the Blackhawks would have liked as off-season signing, Laurent Brossoit, has been injured and hasn't been able to split time or backup Mrazek at all yet. In his place has been Arvid Soderblom despite a rough last season.
Even though the Blackhawks sit last place in the NHL, head coach Luke Richardson has nothing bad to say about the goaltending or goals allowed. He said that, "(Mrazek) has been great for us. We've got to get him more than two goals. Same as (Soderblom) has been in there. I thought he's played well for us this year. We haven't given him the goal support."
Mrazek has started nine of the 11 games, which is a bit more than Chicago's staff would like to be able to keep him healthy throughout the season. He wouldn't have started that many games thus far if Brossoit was able to play. Mrazek is 3-6-0 and has a .896 SV%, but Soderblom, though it's a very small sample size, is 0-1-1 with a .911 SV%.
Richardson also noted, "I think we're playing well. Playing well in front of both of them. That's been a big part of our team that's allowed us to get our feet under us right now." Despite what the coach said, the Blackhawks need to be a little better on the penalty kill that is only 75%. Chicago also needs to score more to help the goalies and the defense as Richardson said.
Chicago doesn't want to strain Petr Mrazek's ability to play game after game to the point where it starts to create health issues for him. Richardson said, "I don't see any (health issues) right now and he feels great and he looks great."
Through 12 games, Mrazek is going to have started 10 games and Soderblom just two. The backup will take the next game and Brossoit will return to support Mrazek soon, but the veteran goalie is currently on pace to start 68 games. That's not even a number the very best starters with no health issues play anymore.
With this heavy workload to start the season before Brossoit is in the lineup to provide support, I can see Mrazek finishing 2024-25 with around 50-55 starts depending on how each performs. It is a good sign to see that the goaltending is not a problem this season for the Blackhawks.
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