As more young talent gets signed and makes their way to the Blackhawks roster, the pace of the rebuild becomes unclear. The 2023-24 season looks promising for Chicago as the countdown to Oct. 10 continues, but some aspects of the roster are still up for speculation. With Alex Stalock signed to the Anaheim Ducks and four goaltenders listed on the roster, who will stay on as the goalie tandem this season?
Mrázek has 11 seasons of experience in the NHL and has spent one season with Chicago. He played in 39 games and finished with a 10-22 record during the 22-23 season. He’s come up big in games last season, but he often finds himself on injured reserve. If Mrázek can stay healthy, we’ll likely see him make a few starts, serving as the veteran goaltender on the team.
Söderblom has played 18 games for the Blackhawks between two seasons with an overall record of 2-12. He has a career record of 36-27-7 with the Rockford IceHogs, with two shutouts and a .913 save percentage. Söderblom would get called up from Rockford whenever Mrázek or Stalock got injured, but we might see him more often this season.
Stauber made an impressive debut in Chicago, winning five of his first six games last season. He was also the first goaltender in Blackhawks history to win his first three starts. With the IceHogs, he had a 6-8 record and a .894 save percentage. If Mrázek and Söderblom are both healthy, we likely won’t see him much this season.
Mitchell Weeks
Weeks has yet to make his NHL debut, but in his first season with Rockford, he had a 5-2-3 record with a .906 save percentage. Although it’s unlikely we’ll see much of him in Chicago this season, we might see him make his debut with all the young talent they have on the roster.
My best guess as to who we’ll see the most this season is Mrázek and Söderblom unless the Blackhawks sign a free-agent goaltender. Mrázek isn’t the most consistent player on the team, and he struggles to stay healthy, but he serves as a veteran presence. Söderblom has been with the team for the longest, and being on the main roster might just be the next step for him.
Stauber was one of the most thrilling parts of last season for me, even though his first NHL stint was short-lived. He’s a player Blackhawks fans should be excited about as the rebuild continues. If Mrázek experiences more injury through the season, I’d expect Stauber to be the goalie who gets called up.
Weeks having a permanent spot on the team isn’t going to happen this season, but I hope to see him at least make his NHL debut. He’ll likely see more starts with the IceHogs this season if Söderblom earns a spot on the roster.
Overall, the Blackhawks will have promising netminders for years to come, especially as Weeks and Boston University goaltender Drew Commesso continue to develop.
