Dietz: Is Soderblom the answer for Blackhawks’ backup goalie?
The backup goalie is one of the oddest jobs in sports.
It's not like the backup QB, who may not play all season. Or the 12th guy on an NBA bench, who may be the team's No. 1 cheerleader.
Nope. The backup goalie plays a pivotal role in the success — or failure — of any NHL team. It's a weird job where you might go six, eight, 10 or even 14 days between starts.
But those starts add up, with most backups notching 25-30 a season — and more if the top guy gets injured.
In the hyper-competitive NHL the backup is often a big reason your team reaches the postseason.
The Blackhawks' No. 2 goalie the past three seasons has been Arvid Soderblom, a 26-year-old Swede who was signed in 2021 as an undrafted free agent.
Make any excuse you want, and coach Jeff Blashill made a few before Soderblom yielded 5 goals in a 5-3 loss to St. Louis at the United Center on Saturday, but it's been a rough campaign for Soderblom.
How rough?
Well, he owns the worst goals-against average (3.80) among 70 goalies who have appeared in at least 15 games. His save percentage (.880) ranks 60th. He's allowed 4 or more goals in 12 of 24 starts. The worst train wrecks came in a 7-1 drubbing by Anaheim on Dec. 7 and a 9-3 mauling by Buffalo on November 21.
The modern-day coach doesn't throw players under the bus very often, and Blashill was no different in that regard Saturday.
“Your numbers can get crushed on a few starts,” Blashill said. “And in his case, honestly, we had a couple really, really bad games where he was in the net early. … I left him in in Buffalo. That doesn't help the numbers. …
“I've liked his game. The job of a backup is very difficult. You have to have a certain mental makeup for it. I've seen guys thrive in it, and I've seen guys not thrive in it — and he's somebody that I know can thrive in that role.”
Maybe. But in three seasons Soderblom has an .887 save percentage and 3.59 goals-against average. In his defense, this is a rebuilding team that struggles to prevent rush chances and Grade A opportunities.
Still, starter Spencer Knight's GAA is 2.80.
I wanted to ask Soderblom about all this, but the Hawks did not comply with that request. Not a great look. Guys should face the music after rough games by coming out and being honest.
Otherwise, all we can do is look at the numbers and how the goals were scored.
Against St. Louis, Soderblom was simply too soft and too slow. The Blues beat him three times on shots over a shoulder. One was on a breakaway and another on a power play, but top-notch goaltenders make those opportunities much tougher.
Soderblom could have used another season or two in the AHL to grow his game, but a franchise can only have so many goalies marinating in the minors. Whether or not that has stunted Soderblom's growth is obviously difficult to determine.
“He's played a lot of hockey in his life,” Blashill said. I'm totally comfortable with where his game's at (and) comfortable that … he's going to give us a chance to win.
“You get a lot of tough starts when you're a backup. I mean when you're a backup of a team that's in first in the league it's easier. When you're a backup of a team that's climbing out of a rebuild like we are that's way harder.”
In the big picture it's up to GM Kyle Davidson to find a strong, capable backup to Knight if he wants the Hawks to mature into a playoff team. Soderblom, who has one season remaining on his contract, probably isn't the answer.
Perhaps it's Drew Commesso, who is in his third season in Rockford. He looked decent in three games with the Hawks.
Or maybe it's Stanislav Berezhnoy, a 6-foot-4 Russian who has played 15 games in Rockford.
Adam Gajan (second-round pick in 2023) and Ilya Kanarsky (seventh-round pick in 2025) are also possibilities.
Don't fret if Soderblom remains backup next year. You should actually want that so those other guys can develop and turn into the backup the Hawks one day will desperately need.
Blackhawks Hall of Fame additions
The Hawks announced their inaugural Hall of Fame class on Friday. The 12 members include nine players whose numbers have been retired plus three former players who were voted in by the media, fans and alumni. Those three players were Duncan Keith (Modern Era), Steve Larmer (Heritage Era) and Troy Murray (Builder). The Modern Era is defined as anyone whose career ended in 2001 or later. The Builder category recognizes individuals whose impact extends beyond on-ice performance.
The players whose numbers are retired are: Glenn Hall, Pierre Pilote, Keith Magnuson, Chris Chelios, Bobby Hull, Denis Savard, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito and Marian Hossa.
John Dietz, a sports writer at the Daily Herald from 1998-2024, covered the Blackhawks from 2014-24. You can reach him at jdietz6917@hotmail.com.