Blackhawks sign goaltender to two-year extension

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed goaltender Drew Commesso to a two-year contract extension carrying an annual salary cap hit of $875,000, the team announced Monday. The agreement runs through the 2027-28 season and keeps the 23-year-old in the organization after he elected not to file for salary arbitration.

The first season (2026-27) is a two-way deal. Commesso will earn an NHL salary of $850,000, an AHL salary of $200,000, and has a guaranteed minimum of $250,000. The second year shifts to a one-way contract worth $900,000 regardless of the league in which he plays. Once the deal expires, he will again become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Commesso made three NHL appearances for Chicago during the 2025-26 season and finished with a 2-1-0 record, a .918 save percentage, a 2.31 goals-against average and one shutout. His biggest performance came on Jan. 10 in Nashville, when he stopped all 36 shots he faced for his first NHL win and first career shutout. That performance made him the fourth goaltender in Blackhawks history to record a shutout in his first NHL win.

At the AHL level, Commesso appeared in 37 games for the Rockford IceHogs during the 2025-26 campaign, compiling a 13-20-3 record, a .901 save percentage, a 3.08 goals-against average and one shutout. Across three professional seasons in Rockford, he has accumulated a 49-51-13 record with a .906 save percentage, a 2.75 GAA and seven shutouts in 114 regular-season games. He has also played in 10 Calder Cup Playoff contests, going 5-5 with a .922 save percentage, a 2.42 GAA and one shutout.

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Before turning professional, Commesso spent three seasons at Boston University. His best collegiate campaign came in 2022-23, when he posted a 24-8-0 record, a .913 save percentage and a 2.46 GAA in 34 games. Selected by Chicago in the second round (46th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, he became a full-time professional in 2023-24 after opening his career with an 18-16-4 record, a .906 save percentage and a 2.65 GAA in Rockford. During the 2024-25 season, he made his NHL debut while posting an 18-15-4 record, a .911 save percentage and a 2.54 GAA in 39 AHL appearances.

Internationally, the Norwell, Massachusetts native represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics, going 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .964 save percentage and one shutout. He also helped Team USA earn a bronze medal at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.

Heading into the next season, Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom remain under contract and are expected to occupy the Blackhawks’ NHL goaltending spots, with Commesso likely beginning the year as the organization’s third goalie while continuing to push for a full-time NHL role. Following Commesso’s extension, Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are the team’s remaining restricted free agents.