The Chicago Blackhawks were incredibly busy this offseason between signing eight players in free agency, to acquiring Ilya Mikheyev in a trade, to the draft in which the team had three first-round picks and three third-round picks. Of all the new players coming to Chicago, the most underrated addition has to be goaltender Laurent Brossoit. In terms of players that will most likely be on the Blackhawks all of next season, nine players in total were brought in to bolster the lineup. Six are forwards, two are defensemen and one plays in net — Brossoit. The future of the Blackhawks in net looks very promising, but the team isn't there just yet. Right now Chicago is trying to get better, which it did on paper, but the season has yet to be played to prove it. Starting goalie Petr Mrazek carried a heavy load in net in 2023-24 — appearing in a career-high 56 games — because backup Arvid Söderblom just wasn't up to NHL standards consistently. With waiver exemption, he will be bumped back down to Rockford of the AHL next season. Brossoit won't just take over as the backup in Chicago, he will challenge for the starting job. The 31-year-old Brossoit is past due to be given his shot as a starter or to split time. The most games he's played in a season was 24 in 2021-22 with the Vegas Golden Knights, but the most games he has started came last season with 22 for the Winnipeg Jets. Brossoit has a career .911 SV%, which is above average. His SV% over the past two seasons between Vegas and Winnipeg is .927 too. This put merit to his claim to step into a bigger role. He couldn't do that with the Jets because he was stuck playing behind Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, so he finds himself on an up-and-coming team in the Blackhawks where he will undoubtedly get more games in net and set career highs. General manager Kyle Davidson calls Brossoit a "1B" goalie. See following video. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson talks about the addition of free agent goalie Laurent Brossoit and its benefits. While Mrazek, 32, is only a year older than Brossoit and more established, he has a .907 career SV% and also set a career-high in games started last season with 53. There is a reason for this, and it's not just because Mrazek played great for the Blackhawks. The Czech netminder had finally overcome core (hip/groin) injuries that had plagued him the previous two seasons. He has had trouble staying healthy and in the lineup throughout his career, and if the Blackhawks have the misfortune of seeing Mrazek go down either of the next two years while Brossoit is signed, the team will be confident in starting Brossoit. There is a huge difference between Söderblom's 5-22-2 record and a .879 SV% to Brossoit's 15-5-2 record and .927 SV% from last season. Not only will it take a lot of pressure off of Mrazek to play less than 68% of the games for Chicago, it will inevitably provide the Blackhawks with means to win more games and move up the standings. Bigger-named forwards, like Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, have dominated the conversation surrounding the Blackhawks and their offseason. But Brossoit has been an excellent goalie the past two seasons and will provide a lot of value to Chicago. RECENT BLACKHAWKS NEWS Blackhawks GM Davidson Got First "Hockey Job" from a Foligno, Mike Foligno [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-gm-davidson-got-first-hockey-job-from-a-foligno-mike] Blackhawks' Lukas Reichel Won't Be in Position for Breakout in 2024-25 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-lukas-reichel-wont-be-in-position-for-breakout-in-2024-25] Blackhawks Don't Need Another "Top-Top" Draft Pick To Climb: GM Davidson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-dont-need-another-top-top-draft-pick-to-climb-gm-davidson] Comparing Chicago Blackhawks' Projected Lineups for 2024-25 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/comparing-chicago-blackhawks-projected-lineups-for-2024-25]
