A potential fixture in future Chicago Blackhawks’ lineups signed a contract extension on Wednesday afternoon, with the team announcing that they’d agreed to terms with goaltender Arvid Soderblöm on a two-year deal.
More Sodie 🥤‼️ pic.twitter.com/I27MJXaB5b
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 10, 2023
The deal runs through the end of the 2024-25 season and carries an annual salary cap hit of $962,500.
Blackhawks have re-signed Arvid Soderblom to a 2-year contract with a $962,500 cap hit.
Extremely cheap for a guy with such high upside who’s expected to be in the NHL both of those years.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 10, 2023
Soderblöm, who’ll turn 24 in August, initially joined the Blackhawks as a free-agent signing on May 17, 2021. He’s spent most of his professional hockey career in the AHL but does have 18 NHL appearances in the last two seasons with a 2-10-2 record, 3.69 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. Those numbers probably reflect more on the teams in front of Soderblom than the goaltender’s actual abilities, though.
Down (up?) in Rockford last season, Soderblöm posted a 15-12-5 record with a 2.92 GAA and .905 save percentage in the regular season for the IceHogs, then went 2-3, 3.18 and .895, respectively, in five postseason games.
As Pope mentioned in the tweet above, it’s an extremely team-friendly deal that also gives Chicago a chance to take an extended look at a goalie who could be a long-term option for the team. With Alex Stalock likely departing via free agency this summer, Soderblöm and Mrazek are now both under contract for next season and should be the odds-on favorites to begin next season as the Blackhawks’ goalie duo.
Speaking of Stalock: on Tuesday, he was announced as the Blackhawks nominee for the Masterton Trophy:
The Masterton trophy is awarded each year "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." pic.twitter.com/3Tlr2hcPyR
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 9, 2023