Chicago Blackhawks place backup goaltender Arvid Söderblom on waivers

The Chicago Blackhawks placed 27-year-old goaltender Arvid Söderblom on waivers Sunday, according to multiple reports.

Söderblom, who signed with the Hawks in May 2021 and has been their backup the last three-plus seasons, is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, the Hawks could buy out or terminate his contract or assign him to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

The Swedish goalie spent most of his first two seasons in the Hawks organization developing with the IceHogs before joining the Hawks full time in 2023-24, backing up first Petr Mrázek and then Spencer Knight.

In 99 NHL appearances (90 starts) since the start of the 2023-24 season, Söderblom has a 3.65 goals-against average, an .885 save percentage and a 23-56-13 record with one shutout. In five games (four starts) this season, he has a whopping 4.67 GAA, an .847 save percentage and a 0-3-1 record.

Knight’s workload this season — 14 starts in the Hawks’ 18 games, on pace for 65 — isn’t sustainable, so the Hawks likely will recall Drew Commesso or Stanislav Berezhnoy from the IceHogs to back him up once Söderblom is claimed or clears waivers.

Commesso, 24, signed a two-year, $1.75 million contract in the offseason and has a 2.75 GAA, a .905 save percentage and a 51-55-11 record with eight shutouts in 121 career appearances in Rockford. He has played in five NHL games, including his first career win and shutout Jan. 10 against the Nashville Predators.

Berezhnoy, 23, has a 3.23 GAA, an .890 save percentage and an 8-12-1 record in 21 appearances for the IceHogs. He was suspended for 20 games last season for testing positive for a prohibited performance-enhancing substance. Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said Berezhnoy “did not knowingly take” the substance.