The Blackhawks surprisingly have an embarrassment of riches

The Chicago Blackhawks are set in the Connor Bedard era with Spencer Knight as the starter for years to come, and Jimmy Waite is doing his thing, making each goaltender better. With that said, there are a few options for the backup spot, and it really could go in any direction. Drew Commesso likely played his way out of Rockford; Adam Gajan likely won't take more than three years in the AHL, but Arvid Soderblom is still quite serviceable in the NHL.

Yes, three options as a backup or even starting goaltender isn't exactly what one would think of when "embarrassment of riches" is mentioned, but think about this. There is only one spot open, and they can only really be the backup there or be okay as the "1B" while Knight mans the crease. Knight is the man, and everyone knows it, for the next decade or so. This means two of the three goalies mentioned need to go somewhere, and I doubt they'll be okay with playing in the AHL.

The Blackhawks can make moves

Let's be honest: The position most teams need the most help in is goaltending. Colorado made a wholesale switch with their tandem; Edmonton lost the Stanley Cup Finals twice with below-average goaltending. Other examples that come to mind include the Pittsburgh Penguins struggling not because of bad offense or defense, but because Tristan Jarry struggled to make glove saves. It doesn't matter how good the rest of the team is if the goalie can't reliably stop pucks.

That is where the value of these three goalies comes into play. You can trade them to contenders or other teams needing reliable goaltending, and trade them to a potential starter for draft capital. I considered the idea of sending Arvid Soderblom to one of the playoff contenders last season as a good move, but Kyle Davidson is moving forward with him next season.

I've seen more upside from Drew Commesso than Soderblom as of late, with Commesso's last stay with the Blackhawks being the most eye-opening. He not only has solid fundamentals, but his mental game is exactly where a top-tier goalie should be: completely calm and not fazed by any goal against. Despite playing behind a dreadful defense, Commesso ended with a 2-1-0 record, a 2.31 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .918.

Don't forget about Adam Gajan, who had a legendary 2023 World Juniors: He defeated Team USA with a 33-save performance and almost single-handedly beat Connor Bedard's Team Canada with a 53-save performance. Gajan had a great year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a 2.25 goals-against and a save percentage of .908. We will get a good look at his development in Rockford, but, like apparently any goaltender, working with Jimmy Waite will do wonders.

So, Spencer Knight is the best goalie on the roster, full stop. After this, there are some interesting decisions for the front office. The last thing they can do is keep all these goalies past their value, as they did with Kevin Korchinski, and make use of their logjam in a coveted position.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow