Blackhawks Player Grades: Arvid Soderblom

Soderblom first debuted with the Blackhawks in 2021-22 and made three appearances. His following two seasons were up and down, but last season was a step forward in Soderblom's development. 

Setting career highs in every major statistical category, Soderblom was the team's best goalie for the first two thirds of the season. Once Knight arrived, the roles were split, but Soderblom was getting meaningful minutes when Mrazek was injured and struggling. His 3.18 goals against average, .898 save percentage, and 33 starts were more encouraging than they appear on paper. 

Now, Soderblom is awaiting a new contract from Kyle Davidson. With Laurent Brossoit still on the roster and under contract, there could be a tough decision ahead. Ideally, Soderblom has earned another contract with the Blackhawks. That said, the "summer of the offer sheet" means anything can happen. 

Player Grades

Steve Kwiatkowski's Grade: B

Soderblom started the season great. Stepping into an unexpected role as the backup, Soderblom made a very strong case as the starter for the rest of the season. Through his first 16 games, he had a .909 SV%. A rough second half bumped that down to a .898 SV%.

Tony Marchese's Grade: B

Soderblom is arguably the Chicago Blackhawks comeback player of the year. Soderblom made the most out of an injury that sidelined Laurent Brossoit and for a large portion of the season was the Blackhawks No. 1 goaltender over Petr Mrazek. While there were still hiccups and games that didn't look so good, Soderblom earned himself his role as the backup to Spencer Knight after the trade deadline dust settled.

Ron Luce's Grade: B-

Entering the season, anxiety was a good word to describe the Arvid Soderblom experience in net. However, an early performance against the Winnipeg Jets started to turn heads for the Swedish netminder. Now, season concluded, he is absolutely a fantastic 1A to Spencer Knight. He has to repeat his performance, but he gets a great grade from me and should earn himself another contract this summer. 

What's On Tap Next?

With a new contract needed, Arvid Soderblom is a name to keep an eye on as free agency and the NHL Draft approach. Soderblom should return as the 1A option to Spencer Knight, but another team could try to poach Soderblom from the Blackhawks if they are desperate for a goalie. After a good season, a lot of possibilities exist for the Swede. 

Tell us if you agree with our grades! What would you give Arvid Soderblom? Let us know at @FourFeathersPod on X and Instagram!