Blackhawks re-sign – Drew Commesso has agreed to a two-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, a move that completes the first of four restricted free-agent re-signings. The contract carries an $875,000 salary-cap hit, keeping the Hawks’ goaltending pipeline moving while Connor Bed
The Blackhawks kicked off a busy stretch of restricted free-agent re-signings on Monday, wrapping up the first deal with prospect goalie Drew Commesso.
Commesso agreed to a two-year contract that carries an $875,000 salary-cap hit. The re-signing spree is expected to include four players total, and with Commesso locked in, Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro remain as the Hawks’ remaining restricted free agents.
Commesso, who will turn 24 later this month, has spent the past few seasons proving his case in the AHL. He delivered three consecutive solid seasons in Rockford, though his save percentage dipped slightly to .901 over 37 appearances this past season.
Still, his NHL impact has already flashed through at moments. He earned his first NHL win with a heroic 36-save shutout over the Predators in January. a performance that marked the first time many around the league had heard his name. He followed that up in March with another NHL win in spot duty, stopping 23 of 25 shots against the Mammoth.
This deal doesn’t guarantee Commesso a starting role in Chicago right away. To be in the NHL this season. he would have to convincingly outplay incumbent backup goalie Arvid Soderblom in training camp. But the contract landscape hints that the Hawks see Commesso as a real option beyond the immediate backup picture.
Soderblom’s save percentage was .880 last season, and his contract is set to expire in 2027. The structure of Commesso’s new agreement suggests Chicago may be preparing to hand him the backup job around that time.
The contract is two-way for 2026-27, meaning Commesso receives different NHL and AHL salaries, but it becomes one-way in 2027-28, paying him the same salary regardless of where he plays.
Bedard remains the Blackhawks’ biggest and most watched restricted free agent, and there have been no updates in the last few days about his contract negotiations or the shoulder injury he suffered last week.
For now, the Hawks have moved one key piece onto the board. Commesso’s re-signing keeps their pipeline intact—and, with Soderblom’s uncertain hold on the backup role, it also points to how Chicago may plan to manage the next turn of the goaltending depth chart.
Chicago Blackhawks Drew Commesso restricted free agent two-year contract Arvid Soderblom Rockford IceHogs Connor Bedard Kevin Korchinski Ethan Del Mastro
So they re-signed the goalie… does that mean Bedard is coming back soon or what? lol
875k for a backup-ish goalie seems kinda low, right? I feel like they’ll just keep cycling people anyway. Also why does it mention his save percentage dropping like that doesn’t matter.
I don’t get the “two-year” thing if it says it becomes one-way in 2027-28. Like they already signed him for 2 years but then it’s like surprise, more years? And Arvid is expiring in 2027 so they’re banking on that? Seems backwards.
Bedard is the big one obviously but they keep talking about backup goalie contracts like that’s the main headline. I saw “shutout” and thought Commesso is the starter now but then it says training camp… so which is it? Also “restricted free agent re-signings” sounds like they’re just doing paperwork marathons. Hope this doesn’t distract from getting Bedard healthy.