Because the Blackhawks entered a season of unknowns in October, the goaltender place was a very massive query mark. The mix of Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom wasn’t anticipated to be a spotlight of a younger crew.
Whereas Mrazek has been a nice shock in his 16 begins, Soderblom has endured greater than his fair proportion of struggles. Now 2-10-1, the 24-year-old carries a save share of .872 and has but to show into the NHL-caliber netminder the Blackhawks hoped he could be this yr.
Though Soderblom doesn’t seem like fairly able to be a full-time goaltender on the sport’s highest stage, Chicago will discover it tough to maneuver in a distinct course.
One attainable resolution for the Blackhawks’ drawback is to hunt a commerce, bringing in a extra constant goalie and letting Soderblom develop additional on the AHL stage. Nevertheless, such a transfer could be a catastrophe for a younger crew nonetheless a number of years away from competing for a championship. An ideal goaltender might deliver the franchise a number of extra wins, however Chicago is final within the league in factors (19).
Anybody anticipated to make a big impression between the pipes could be almost unimaginable to accumulate at this level within the season. Even when a netminder have been out there, the Blackhawks must surrender huge capital, whether or not that be picks or gamers. Such a commerce could be a catastrophe for the long-term plans of the crew’s rebuild.
The Blackhawks additionally lack any kind of depth inside their group on the place. Drew Commesso has been strong on the AHL stage this yr, however the 21-year-old isn’t wherever near being able to be known as up. Jaxson Stauber is the opposite netminder for the AHL-affiliate Rockford IceHogs, however his time with the Blackhawks previously has been marred by much more errors than Soderblom’s, and there’s a purpose the latter was given the primary look between the pipes on the United Heart. Whereas the way forward for the goaltender place seems to be shiny for Chicago, the crew is totally out of choices to share the online with Mrazek this yr.
Though Soderblom isn’t doing his crew any favors whereas nonetheless creating, the Blackhawks don’t have any choices to exchange him. The younger goalie has loads of enhancing to do, however he’ll be doing it on the NHL stage.