The Chicago Blackhawks have been grinding through a rebuild for years, but now there’s real traction-and it starts in the crease. For a team that’s been searching for long-term stability in net since the Corey Crawford era, the emergence of two young, talented goaltenders is more than just encouraging-it’s foundational.
Spencer Knight: The Present and Future
Let’s start with Spencer Knight. Acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Seth Jones trade-a move that also brought in a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft-Knight has quickly validated his value. At just 24 years old, he’s already playing like a seasoned No. 1, and the numbers back it up.
Through 32 games this season, Knight has posted a .910 save percentage, along with 12.64 goals saved above average (GSAA) and 25.04 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Those metrics put him fifth and fourth in the league, respectively, in GSAA and GSAx.
Translation? He’s not just stopping the shots he should-he’s stealing goals that most netminders would surrender.
Knight’s calm presence and technical precision have brought much-needed stability to a young Blackhawks squad still finding its identity. He’s been a major reason Chicago remains in the hunt for a wild-card spot, even as the team continues to grow around its young core.
What makes this even more impressive is the contract situation. Knight came over with a $4.5 million AAV deal, but six months after the trade, GM Kyle Davidson locked him up with an extension that runs through the 2028-29 season at a $5.83 million AAV.
That’s tremendous value in today’s NHL, especially when you consider the rising salary cap. For context, Knight will be the 17th-highest-paid goalie in the league-earning less than names like Jordan Binnington, Jacob Markstrom, Lukas Dostal, and John Gibson.
If Knight continues to trend upward, that deal could become one of the savviest moves of Davidson’s tenure.
Drew Commesso: The Homegrown Hope
Then there’s Drew Commesso, the 2020 second-round pick who’s been quietly developing into a legitimate NHL option. While his path hasn’t been as high-profile as Knight’s, Commesso has steadily built a strong résumé in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs and is starting to get his feet wet at the NHL level.
His AHL numbers have been consistent: a .906 save percentage in his first season (2023-24), a .911 in 2024-25, and a .906 again through 20 games this year. But it was his playoff performance last season that really turned heads-he posted a .926 save percentage in seven games, showing he can rise to the occasion when it matters most.
Commesso’s NHL sample size is small-just four games over two seasons-but he’s already shown flashes of what he can bring. After a tough outing against the Washington Capitals this season, where he was left out to dry in a 5-1 loss, he responded with a 36-save shutout against the Nashville Predators. That kind of bounce-back ability is what separates prospects from pros.
At 6-foot-2, Commesso isn’t the towering presence many teams now covet in net, but he moves well in his crease, tracks the puck with confidence, and has shown the mental toughness needed to handle the highs and lows of the position.
With his entry-level contract expiring after this season, Davidson will need to get a new deal in place. But with Commesso still a restricted free agent and only a handful of NHL games under his belt, this should be a manageable negotiation. The key will be locking in a short-term bridge deal that allows him to continue developing without putting undue pressure on the cap.
Chicago’s Goalie Future Looks Bright
It’s rare for a team to have one young, cost-controlled goalie with legitimate No. 1 upside. The Blackhawks have two.
Knight has already shown he can handle the workload of a starter, while Commesso is proving he’s not far behind. That’s a luxury most teams in the league would love to have-and it gives Chicago a strong foundation to build around as the rebuild enters its next phase.
For a franchise that’s been through the wringer in recent years, this tandem offers something that’s been missing for a while: hope. Not just for this season, but for the seasons to come.