Blackhawks sign goalie Arvid Soderblom to two-year extension

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed netminder Arvid Soderblom to a two-year contract extension, per a team announcement. The deal carries a $962.5k cap hit.

Soderblom, who turns 24 in August, was the Blackhawks’ number-three netminder this past season. As Chicago number-one goalie Petr Mrazek struggled with injuries, Soderblom ended up playing in 15 NHL games. His numbers were not strong (2-10-2 record, .894 save percentage) but it must be noted that the Blackhawks team Soderblom was playing behind gave up 299 goals in 2022-23, the fifth-most in the NHL.

In the AHL, Soderblom’s form was a bit better. In 33 games he went 15-12-5 with a .905 save percentage, helping the Rockford IceHogs reach the Calder Cup playoffs. Last season, Soderblom was an impressive AHL force, posting a .919 save percentage in 38 games played. Before signing in Chicago, he had excelled as a tandem netminder for Skelleftea AIK in his native Sweden, posting a .921 save percentage in 22 starts.

With this contract extension in hand, Soderblom has the inside track to either maintaining his status as the number-three netminder in Chicago or even winning a job as a backup goalie.

With phenom Connor Bedard widely expected to be a part of the Blackhawks’ team in the fall, their timeline to contention could be shifted forward in time a bit, meaning at 23 years old Soderblom may not have as long of a developmental runway to establish himself as an NHLer as he may have had in a more extended Blackhawks rebuild.

In any case, this contract extension gives Soderblom a two-year platform to continue his development and hopefully become an NHL option in the crease for Chicago.