Which former Chicago Blackhawks should the team sign or who to avoid in free agency?

Kevin Lankinen, Malcolm Subban, and Colin Delia

This coming offseason I do expect the Hawks to be in on a veteran goaltender to challenge Arvid Soderblom for the backup position. With so many former Blackhawks goalies, it may make some sense to go with a player that you know and avoid the potential headache of swinging and missing on a different free-agent goaltender.

However, the fact that we know exactly what each of these three netminders can do is the reason I would avoid them. We know that at their apex these are either AHL starting goalies (Subban and Delia) or NHL backup goalies (Lankinen).

I would rather the Hawks spend their money trying someone new to fill their backup spot so that we may be pleasantly surprised with their play and potentially turn them into an asset down the road.

Furthermore, Davidson has shown the ability to scout good quality goaltending from the rubbage pile before. Remember, Petr Mrazek was viewed as an unplayable goaltender when Toronto traded him to the Hawks along with a first-round pick which was necessary just to get rid of him!

Now, Mrazek is the obvious starter in Chicago and a fan favorite. remember also how well Alex Stalock played in Chicago. Speaking of which...

Former Blackhawks to bring back

Alex Stalock

I know that I just said that we should get a new face in the goalie room to see if we can turn that player into a future asset. However, if the Hawks were to go with a former Blackhawks goalie to add to their rotation next season, Stalock would be my choice. He was excellent in Chicago, and while I don't think a GM should always operate in this manner, he would be a wonderful locker-room guy.

Teammates of his adore him, and fans do as well. He was even nominated for the Masterton trophy in 2023, which is an award given to, "The player that best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey."

Last season Stalock played 15 games for the San Diego Gulls (The Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate team) and he posted a .888 save percentage..

Yikes. But listen, that would be an upgrade over Arvid Soderblom from last season. So, if you resign Stalock he is a goalie that Soderblom can compete with and very likely beat out for the primary backup position.

But in a pinch, he can start NHL games for you. In 2022-2023 with the Blackhawks, he played 27 games and posted a .908 Save percentage which is right around the league average. With Mrazek as the clear starter and Soderblom slated to factor into the rotation as well, Stalock would likely only need to give the Hawks 10-15 games next season maximum. I think he would be a good signing as a third-string goalie.