Who Will Backup Spencer Knight In Goal Next Season?

There are exciting times ahead for the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor Bedard will sign a new contract, Anton Frondell will have a full season in the NHL, and the team is picking fourth overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft next month. However, there are still some questions left to be answered. One of them is regarding free agency. Who will the Blackhawks sign in order to make the team better next season?

Another one involves the goalies. It’s obvious that Spencer Knight will be the starter, but who will be the backup? If Knight gets hurt or struggles, the backup goalie will have to step up in a huge way to keep the team competitive. General manager Kyle Davidson will have to make some very important decisions regarding next season’s goalie tandem. The only question is who he will choose as the backup.

Arvid Soderblom Should Get Another Chance

Looking at Arvid Soderblom’s career numbers, it's understandable why fans would want the Blackhawks to seek a trade for someone else. In 112 career NHL games, he has a record of 25-65-14 with an .887 save percentage (SV%). Looking at those statistics, they are horrific. But goalie statistics can be misrepresented, especially if the team is horrible.

The Blackhawks have finished last in the Central division for the past four seasons, with last season’s 72 points being the most in that timespan. It’s clear that the team itself has been horrible, so it’s not right to entirely blame Soderblom for his career numbers. This past year, the team has seen many young prospects arrive. With Roman Kantserov rumored to be signing and Davidson ready to make a free agency splash, he should get a chance to play with a competent team. Giving up on Soderblom now wouldn’t be the smartest decision.

Drew Commesso Could Get a Shot

Like Soderblom, Drew Commesso also had a bad year last season. In 37 games with the Rockford IceHogs, he went 13-20-0-1 with a .901 SV%. But just like the Blackhawks, the IceHogs also had a horrible year. With many callups and injuries, the IceHogs were left with many players on AHL contracts. That meant low goal-scoring output and many losses.

However, Commesso was pretty good in the few NHL games he played last season with the Blackhawks. In three games, he went 2-1 with a .918 SV% and only seven goals against. For how bad they were last year, those were pretty good numbers. If they look past the IceHogs’season, Commesso could get another chance to play for the Blackhawks.

The Free Agent Route

The Blackhawks have a number of options for next season. With them clearly signaling that the rebuild is moving into the next phase, it could be realistic for them to sign a free agent to back up Knight. The Blackhawks like to have reunions with former players, and with Laurent Brossoit and Petr Mrazek, unrestricted free agents next year, a reunion could be possible. If the Blackhawks aren’t convinced about Commesso or Soderblom, there’s a good chance they’ll pick up a free agent to be Knight’s backup next season.

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