Blackhawks Should Move on From Arvid Soderblom

The Chicago Blackhawks have their future starting goalie in Spencer Knight. Knight, just starting his new three-year bridge deal going into this upcoming season, was one of the best players on the team last season. While the starting case is settled, it’s time for the Blackhawks to explore a new option at the backup position. 

The Blackhawks Should Move on From Soderblom 

Arvid Soderblom has served as the backup for the Blackhawks for the last three seasons. Soderblom, 26 years old, went undrafted and was signed by the Blackhawks in 2021, so overall, it wasn’t a bad move given the situation the team was in at that time, as well. 

Soderblom started his career hot down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rockford IceHogs in the 2021-22 season, putting up a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.76 goals-against average (GAA). The kid had potential, especially being a newly undrafted signee. Unfortunately, in the next two seasons following his stint with the IceHogs, with his numbers dropping, he always had an SV% below .900, and his GAA wasn’t good, either. 

In 2024-25, though, he started to turn things around and had a shockingly good season. His numbers still weren’t top of the list, as he had a .898 SV% and a 3.18 GAA, but it was his best season in Chicago to date. That season also turned some heads in his direction, leading to questions on whether or not he was actually the answer to the question behind Knight. That also happened to be the last season of his existing contract, so he got hot at the right time. 

Over the summer, after arbitration, he was awarded a two-year, $5.5 million deal (worth $2.75 million per year). This past season, Soderblom posted a .880 SV% with a 3.70 GAA, along with an 8-13-3 record. After he got his contract, he was showing signs of improvement. Granted, the defense was lackluster for the entire season, and he faced a ton of shots every time he was in net, but he had eight games where he let up more than five goals. That includes letting up nine to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 21. 

Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan in the Pipeline 

The Blackhawks are turning over a new leaf with youth, and with that, there are two solid young goalies. They are Drew Commesso, who played last season down in Rockford, and Adam Gajan, who needs more of a look and poses more questions than Commesso. 

Commesso has been viewed as a good goalie prospect for a while now, and at some point before Knight was brought in, he might’ve been looked at as the future starting goaltender, depending on who you asked. Being a second-round pick in 2020, he’s shone with the IceHogs for the past couple of seasons. Commesso got a call-up in Chicago when an illness swept through the locker room. He went 2-1-0 with a .918 SV% and a 2.31 GAA, performing well when the Blackhawks needed him. 

Gajan, a 2023 second-round selection, was drafted at an older age compared to the rest of the class. The 22-year-old spent the majority of this season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, tallying a .908 SV% and a 2.25 GAA. Gajan wrapped up his 2025-26 campaign playing a single game in between the pipes for the IceHogs on April 12 against the Chicago Wolves. The IceHogs lost that game 4-2, but Gajan stopped an impressive 36 of 39 shots. 

In terms of Soderblom, the best thing the Blackhawks can do is try to trade him to a team that desperately needs a netminder. Commesso is ready for the next big step into being an NHL backup, and depending on how it goes, he’ll be locked in as the long-term one. Gajan would become the starting goaltender for the IceHogs. Your three top goalies would be Knight, Commesso, and Gajan, and they’d all be the age of 25 or younger.