Will Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom's subpar results open the door for Drew Commesso?

Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom felt miserable while watching goalie prospect Drew Commesso's first NHL win and shutout Jan. 10 against the Predators.

Soderblom didn't feel miserable because he saw his grip on his job loosening, though. He was actually thrilled for Commesso.

Instead, he felt miserable because the stomach bug that ripped through the Hawks' locker room was ripping through his digestive system at that very moment.

"At one point there, I thought the end was near," Soderblom said Sunday, chuckling. "I lost eight pounds or so, but it's all back now. I was looking at myself in the mirror after those two days, and I felt like I was so skinny in my face. It was weird."

Although Commesso's spectacular 36-save performance did strengthen his case for an extended NHL opportunity, Soderblom isn't daunted by that possibility.

"It's nothing new," he said. "It's the best league in the world, so there's always competition, for sure. I'm just so happy for Drew. He's such a great guy...and he's always working hard. I wasn't able to really watch the game fully, but I saw the [third] period, and it was really fun to see."

The Hawks' goaltending depth chart has undergone plenty of unexpected twists and turns since they entered the 2024-25 season expecting Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit to be their backstops.

Brossoit's knee problems allowed Soderblom to revive his career, then Knight's acquisition pushed out Mrazek, then Brossoit's recovery temporarily disrupted Commesso before his trade to the Sharks.

Now, Soderblom's struggles have turned fans against him again. The 26-year-old Swede is made into a frequent scapegoat on social media, probably to an unfair degree. General manager Kyle Davidson gave him a hearty vote of confidence in December, but the numbers are the numbers.

Soderblom's .868 save percentage this season ranks 62nd out of 64 league-wide, and his minus-12.6 GSAA ranks 59th. Spencer Knight, by comparison, ranks ninth and second in those categories, respectively, after his 32-save shutout Monday against the Jets.

Soderblom identified breakaways as a weakness earlier this season and worked with goalie coach Jimmy Waite to alter his style to defend those more aggressively. That improvement has been noticeable, and it yielded dividends as he won his first two starts after Christmas.

In his most recent start Saturday, however, a strong first period devolved into a poor overall outing as he allowed five Bruins goals on 23 shots.

Afterward, Hawks coach Jeff Blashill — for really the first time — acknowledged Soderblom "went through a stretch of not" playing well earlier this season. But Blashill added the Hawks' defensive breakdowns against the Bruins made that particular night difficult to judge.

Soderblom will start again either Thursday at the Hurricanes or Friday against the Lightning, and it doesn't appear he's in immediate danger of losing his role. Most of the two-year contract he signed last summer still lies ahead of him, too.

With Commesso approaching restricted free agency for the first time in summer 2026, however, it would be prudent for the Hawks to put more effort into figuring out exactly what they have in their best goalie prospect before the season ends.

The 23-year-old Massachusetts native has delivered consistently solid results over the last three years in Rockford, although his AHL save percentage this season has recently dipped slightly down to .905. (It's worth noting Soderblom also posted a .905 in his last AHL season in 2022-23.)

And Commesso's improvisational skills, poise under pressure and quick glove hand were all on vivid display in Nashville.

Soderblom, through 101 career NHL appearances, now touts a subpar save percentage of .886 — albeit behind some awful teams. Could Commesso deliver better results? It seems more likely than not that he could.

Especially after the Olympic break, the Hawks will have to ponder that question and decide how they want to answer it.