hi Adam!

︎ https://t.co/6qNFYIYHJS pic.twitter.com/F8XcmvLP5j

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 1, 2026

Chicago announced that Gajan has agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with a $1.05 million annual salary cap hit through the 2027-28 season following a very successful season with the University of Minnesota Duluth (NCHC). Following that announcement, the Rockford IceHogs released an announcement of their own that they had signed Gajan to an amateur tryout agreement (ATO).

The 6-foot-3, 189-pound Poprad, Slovakia, native compiled a 26-25-2 record, a .899 SV%, a 2.65 goals against average and three shutouts in 54 career games with UMD. Prior to playing in the NCAA, Gajan appeared in 54 games with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, amassing a 30-15-5 record and one shutout.

During his international career, Gajan represented Slovakia at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He also played for Team Slovakia at the 2023 and 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships, compiling a 5-3-0 record and earning two shutouts, which earned him Best Goaltender honors at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Rockford ATO means that he can join the team for their final eight games with current goaltenders Drew Commesso and Olivier Rodrigue. Stanislav Berezhnoy is also part of the IceHogs’ roster, but was suspended 20 games on Feb. 17 for violating the terms of the AHL/PHPA Performance Enhancing Substance Program. Berezhnoy is eligible to return on April 11.

We have signed goaltender Adam Gajan to an ATO contract. Welcome to the organization, Adam!!https://t.co/qpUO87Nj3w

— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) April 1, 2026

Analysis

This move comes as a slight surprise, as it would not hurt Gajan’s development to play another year with the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Blackhawks have a nice list of young goaltenders already, but Commesso is a restricted free agent and Rodrigue is an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Arvid Soderblom and Berezhnoy will be unrestricted and restricted free agents, respectively, on July 1, 2027.

Having too many young, promising goaltenders is not a bad position to be in; just ask the Edmonton Oilers.

The #Blackhawks have quite a Goaltending stockpile.

Spencer Knight
Arvid Soderblom
Drew Commesso
Stanislav Berezhnoy
Adam Gajan
Ilya Kanarsky

I could honestly see them package Soderblom if someone wants him. @TheRinkCHI @TheRinkOfficial

— Old goalie guy (@PuckinHostile) April 1, 2026

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks sign goaltender Adam Gajan to entry-level deal appeared first on The Rink.

Writers will continually tell you that goaltending is “voodoo.” That it’s unpredictable. That you cannot predict goalies or goaltending. Some of this is true. It is possibly the most mental position in sports. Goalies spend almost the entire game on the ice, by themselves, in their own heads. When they make those saves that everyone expects them to, “You’re just doing the job you’re supposed to do.” When they give up that soft goal, or that one that looks easy on a video replay slowed down a frame a second, “this guy is a bum.”

Hockey goaltending is an absolutely thankless position played by sadists.

I digress, though, as I am not here to solve the great mystery of this position that people are not much closer to understanding than they did when this sport was born well over 100 years ago. I am here to give you some insight into what this team you all root for has under its thumb for the next few years.

The Blackhawks have promise in goal. They have something to look forward to. So, let me take you through the system from top to bottom.

Spencer Knight

I have been a fan of Spencer Knight since his World Junior Championship days in 2021. Knowing full well that the Blackhawks, especially Stan Bowman at the time, never spent high draft picks on goalies, I never thought the team would ever have a chance to have him in their crease.

Then came the great Seth Jones dump. Florida Panthers General Manager Bill Zito felt that Knight was expendable, and suddenly, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson had a 23-year-old potential franchise goalie.

Potentially.

No one truly knows what he will be, but the fact that he was in the conversation for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team is encouraging. He is not perfect, but there is plenty to see in his game that would translate well when he has some structure around him.

Knight has a coolness to the game and moves ultra-smoothly. He never looks shaken by bad goals and appears to have ice in his veins. It is rare that you get gifted a goalie of this level, this young, so hopefully this move and the Connor Bedard pick are the start of another dynasty story.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom has had a contentious career in Chicago. (Photo courtesy the of NHL)

Arvid Soderblom

The great mystery of Arvid Soderblom. The first word that comes to mind when thinking of Soderblom is “enigma.” It is a cliché term, but he truly fits that mold for me.

He came over from Europe with not much of a reputation, much like Stanislav Berezhnoy, to play in the AHL or ECHL. That season, he played very well in Rockford, one of the best goalie seasons with the IceHogs in recent memory.

His first year in the NHL, he looked relatively strong on a very bad team. The Blackhawks finished 18-49-7 and he finished with only two wins and a .894 save percentage in all situations. The numbers were not anything to get excited about, but you could see flashes of talent. This was great for a player that Bowman poached from Sweden for free.

One of my favorite theories about goalies is “wait until the entire league has seen you once through before you start your judgments.” They will have seen film and probably faced you at least once. The surprise is gone. That is the epitome of NHL year two for Soderblom, a disaster.

The team was, somehow, worse than the previous year with a modern-era team-low 52 points, and Soderblom could not stop a thing. He went from 15 games played to 33, and his stats were abysmal — five wins and an .880 save percentage in all situations. The drop of .014 might not seem like a lot, but I can assure you it is considerable.

Which Soderblom was he? The serviceable backup or the sieve that was a huge liability?

The answer is somewhere in the middle, as it turns out. He jumped back up to a .898 save percentage last season, but this year he is back down again, this time into the sub .870 range with only two regular-ish goaltenders below him (Leevi Meriläinen and Samuel Ersson).

I will expound on this later, but when the entire team started hot, I was hoping he would remain warm, and some team would take a chance on a big 26-year-old Swedish netminder. He has torn that up and made confetti.

The salary is not an issue, but the term is. Chicago is on the hook for one more season, with Drew Commesso just about ready to start seeing NHL duty, Berezhnoy surprising people in the AHL and Adam Gajan playing well at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which earned him a trip to Italy with the Slovakian Olympic Team.

Davidson might just need to put him through waivers, bury a chunk of his salary and let him be the guy in Rockford next season. It looks as though his time wearing a Blackhawks uniform is coming to a close.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Drew Commesso has played very solid in the AHL. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Drew Commesso

Commesso came with some pretty high praise after the Blackhawks selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He had a very impressive season with the U.S. National Team Development Program, which he parlayed into a very respectable career at Boston University, including two games with the U.S. Olympic Team in 2023, one of which a shutout.

His professional career has not exactly started off with bells and whistles, but he has put up respectable numbers. Over parts of four AHL seasons, he has a .909 save percentage in the regular season and .922 in the playoffs. It is time for the Blachawks to take his training wheels off and see what this kid has.

What can you expect from him? Think “Corey Crawford-ish.” He will not “wow” you, but he is consistent. The Blackhawks need more consistency.

Granted, I would not expect him to unseat Knight, but what a one-two punch they could have for the next 5-6 seasons.

Rockford IceHogs goaltender Stanislav Berezhnoy has started off his career nicely in the AHL. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Stanislav Berezhnoy

It has only been 10 games into his AHL career, but Berezhnoy has made fans notice his play. Several highlight saves have made their rounds on the internet that should have the fans raising their eyebrows.

Despite not speaking a lick of English, Davidson signed the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Berezhnoy out of the Russian VHL in July to potentially play in Rockford or with the Indy Fuel. He earned a spot backing up Commesso in Rockford and has done an admirable job despite injuries taking a toll on his season.

Stats will not tell you the story of his season, as they are pretty pedestrian. He has gone 5-4-1 with a .898 save percentage in all situations, which ranks him 10th among rookie AHL goaltenders. He started off red hot in his first three games, then had a below-average November and missed most of December. Considering the recent play of Soderblom and the success of Commesso, Berezhnoy could see some more time in Rockford down the stretch. His most recent performance was an impressive 31-save, 3-1 win against the division-leading Grand Rapids Griffins.

By no means am I proclaiming any great huge results, but he is a big goaltender who is very athletic, especially for his size. If he can continue to develop at only 22 years old, he could be another sneaky good signing by the Blackhawks.

University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog’s goalie Adam Gajan has had an impressive season that led him to the Slovakian Olympic hockey team. (Photo courtesy of the NHL)

Adam Gajan

Gajan has been one of my favorite goaltending prospects in recent memory. The good and bad of playing in leagues like the USHL are that you can somewhat avoid the spotlight, but players only really have basic stats to be judged on.

This is what happened when Gajan played his D+1 season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. For those not aware, the USHL is a league notorious for not supporting the defensive end of the ice, so the average 8.66 goals per game were scored — not ideal for a goaltender looking to impress.

Davidson picked Gajan in the now-famous Connor Bedard 2023 NHL Draft in the second round (35th overall). He was also the first goaltender picked in that draft, ahead of netminders like Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine and Montreal Canadiens rookie Jacob Fowler.

Following his adventure in Green Bay, he committed to play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Truth be told, his first year was not eye-opening. He played 21 games as the primary starter and posted a 7-15-1 record with a .885 save percentage in all situations as a 20-year-old freshman.

As a sophomore, he has cemented his spot as the primary starter for the Bulldogs with a current 15-7-0 record and a .911 save percentage. This was impressive enough to earn Gajan an invite to travel to Milan Cortina with Team Slovakia.

He is another big goaltender (notice the trend here) at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, and is known for his extreme flexibility. He regularly goes into full splits to make saves, which can often show up on highlight reels.

If Blackhawks fans can be patient with him, and the organization puts the time into development, Gajan could end up the best goalie in the system.

Ilya Kanarsky

This is a name that not many Blackhawks fans will be familiar with, just yet. Davidson took the 6-foot-2, 192-pound 21-year-old this summer in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft. He has been playing Russian professional hockey, first in the MHL/NMHL, then in the VHL, since 2021.

Ilya Kanarsky comes from a hockey family, as his father, Pavel Kanarsky, was a defenseman in the Russian leagues from 2006 until 2017. His younger brother, Yan Kanarsky, is also a defenseman in the Russian MHL.

His stats are pretty gaudy, but keep in mind that he was drafted in his D+2 season, which means he went undrafted in two previous years of eligibility. Individually, he has a 7-13-8 record with a .925 save percentage. Without context, that sounds sensational, but the VHL is a strong goalie league. He is ranked 29th overall in save percentage. There are 59 goalies who have played 10 games or more who have save percentages over .900.

Playing with AKM Tula Region, Kanarsky is the primary starter despite being the youngest goaltender on the team. His team, unfortunately, is 21st out of 32 teams in the standings.

I would not expect much from this player, but stranger things have happened. He could be a candidate for Indy or Rockford should he choose to pursue North America, but his chances of showing up in a Blackhawks sweater are low.

The post ANALYSIS: Chicago Blackhawks goaltending assessment appeared first on The Rink.

It was a big test for both clubs and it was fun to get a look at Chicago Blackhawks prospect and 57th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Ryan Greene, on Friday. Equally as enticing to watch were BU’s highly touted freshman, Cole Eiserman, the New York Islanders’ 20th overall pick in 2024, and Michigan’s Michael Hage, 21st overall to the Montreal Canadiens — both of which some Chicago Blackhawks fans feel General Manager Kyle Davidson unwisely passed over when he picked Sacha Boisvert with the 18th overall pick in June.

Ryan Greene

Let’s start with Greene. What’s to like about Greene’s game that he showcased on Friday is his positioning. He is a center, not one who will be a huge point-producing player at the NHL level, but also not one where there will be questions about if he is a better fit at center or wing. He is a natural pivot, responsible in both ends of the ice, can kill penalties and is on the first-team power-play unit for the Terriers. The BU captain tallied 36 points in 40 games in the 2023–24 season that saw the Terriers reach the Frozen Four. For Greene’s NHL prospectus, his ceiling is likely a third- or fourth-line center whose primary objective is puck control and not to get scored against. Sure, he may be able to chip in offensively at the NHL level, and most bottom-six forwards in the NHL do a lot of scoring in their college years, if they come from the NCAA ranks. Where he struggled a bit on Friday night and through the weekend was in the faceoff circle, particularly in his own zone. That said, this is something that all centers need to focus on, but for Greene, considering how he projects, this could be an integral ingredient to his ultimate success in the NHL. Still, he is a good prospect. He may or may not pan out, but there is a like about him.

Cole Eiserman

This time last year, Eiserman began to drop on draft boards. In June of 2023, he was projected to be a top-two pick in the 2024 draft, potentially even first overall, and then as his season with the U.S. National Development Team progressed, he began sliding as questions around his overall game began to surface. After being picked by the Islanders, some thought Davidson missed his shot to snag this elusive offensive talent and potentially a long-term sidekick for Connor Bedard. Maybe, maybe not, but if you were paying close attention on Friday night to the previous weekend’s Hockey East Player of the Week, you can see why many GMs balked in the first round. Eiserman scored a power-play goal and is an extremely gifted offensive player. When he has the puck, he is absolutely electric. Yet, when he is away from the puck, it is somewhat of an issue. Often on Friday, BU was pinned in their own zone when he was on the ice and three times he was caught out there for a two-plus-minute shift when his team had to ice the puck and he was unable to make a change. For the most part, Michigan had their way with the Terriers at even strength when Eiserman was on the ice. His body language when things were not going how he wanted was also questionable, and with the Wolverines up 2–1 in the third period, he took an unnecessary slashing penalty behind the play, leading to Michigan’s third goal of the night. Now, the story on Eiserman is far from complete and he could go on to be a tremendous NHL talent. He will score a ton at BU and perhaps some day in the NHL. At the same time, when you are bringing a young team along and you notice some red flags, if you can find players where that is not an issue, that is not a bad thing. So, I would not question the passing up on Eiserman by Davidson in the least. 

There are noticeable reasons why Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson elected not to choose the offensively gifted Cole Eiserman with Chicago’s 18th overall pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft. (Photo courtesy of Boston University Athletics)

Michael Hage

The local Chicago Steel product was someone who was very intriguing for the Hawks with the 18th pick and could be a “steal” (pun intended) for the Montreal Canadiens. The teenager is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward and has a strong lower frame. His stride is powerful, hands great in tight, wins draws and can play in all situations. Did the Hawks miss on this one, maybe, but all of that depends on how he and others, including Boisvert, pan out, and we will not know this or be able to judge it for a long time.

Sacha Boisvert, Adam Gajan, Aidan Thompson

On to Boisvert. While I have yet to watch him closely and have only seen a highlight or two, he does have seven points in seven games for North Dakota thus far, which is…well, good, if not great. A real test lies ahead for him in his next four games when North Dakota heads to Minnesota Duluth this weekend for a two-game set and then host the No. 1 Denver Pioneers the following weekend. We will know a lot more about Boivert after seeing that competition. And if you want to check out other Hawks prospects in those tilts, Adam Gajan, the Slovakian netminder taken 35th overall in the 2023 draft, is 3–3 thus far for the UMD Bulldogs with a .900 save percentage. For the Pioneers, Aidan Thompson, 2024 NCAA champion and Chicago’s third-round pick (90th overall) in 2022, is currently leading the country in scoring with six goals and nine assists for the top-ranked Pioneers. The 22-year-old in his third season with DU is a major factor on their club this season.

Chicago Blackhawks prospect and 2024 first-round pick (18th overall) Sacha Boisvert has produced at a point-per-game rate in his first seven games at the University of North Dakota. (Photo courtesy of Grand Forks Herald)

The Blackhawks have a number of players worth checking out in the NCAA ranks and these are but a few, but for those wondering if Davidson has been meticulous for who he has and has not chosen to draft, evidence suggests he has been doing his homework. As always with some prospects taken late in the first round and later, some will work out and some will not, but the Hawks’ pool of prospects is solid and deep, particularly in the NCAA ranks.

The post Blackhawks prospect analysis: A night at Agganis Arena appeared first on The Rink.