Drew Commesso’s path to the Blackhawks’ crease in 2026-27 isn’t closed off by any stretch. It’s just not a straight line.
The 24-year-old goalie is heading into his fourth pro season with only five NHL games on his resume, which tells you how much of his development has taken place in Rockford. That’s where he’s spent most of his Chicago tenure with the IceHogs, and that’s where the next big step has to come from if he wants to force his way into the conversation next season.
The case for Commesso starts with the numbers he’s put together in the AHL. Over three seasons in Rockford, he’s been steady: a 2.75 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 114 games.
Last season, in 37 games, he posted a 3.08 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. It wasn’t a perfect year, but it was a year of growth, and Commesso said as much in his Rockford exit interview.
"It was just a lot of growth, a lot of learning. Personally for me, I feel like I felt really comfortable.
And we had a lot of new guys this year, so being an older guy on the team, it's kind of a new role for me. It was nice to bring them in and make them feel welcomed.
And yeah, I mean, every season I've had in Rockford's been a bit different, but I cherish them all."
He also got a taste of the NHL this season, and the brief sample was encouraging. His call-ups came sporadically while illness ran through the Blackhawks room, but he made the most of the opportunity.
In three games, he went 2-1 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He picked up his first career win and then followed it with his first shutout, which came against the Nashville Predators in January.
What stood out was how composed he looked. There wasn’t much chaos to his game, and he handled his starts with control. Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill noticed that calm, too, and it fits a broader theme in the organization, where Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom have also been praised for their steady demeanor.
That’s where the real competition begins. There’s been talk about whether Commesso could take over as Knight’s backup next season, and the ingredients are there: three years of AHL development, including two IceHogs playoff runs, plus a small NHL sample that went well. Still, he’d have to climb past Söderblom, who has held the No. 2 job for the past three seasons and is entering the final year of his two-year contract.
Even so, the door is open.
General manager Kyle Davidson said in July that the Blackhawks want competition at camp, and Commesso is part of that picture.
"Drew's someone that's put in a lot of work, not only before turning pro, but since he's gotten to pro and played largely in Rockford. And he came up and played well in his couple opportunities here.
So... you go into training camp, and you want to foster competition, and we're certainly going to do that, and I'm sure the other goaltenders will embrace that as well, and come in and prove that they're the ones that should be here to break camp. And so Drew's part of that conversation, and we've got a ton of faith in Drew, both currently and down the road, and so we're excited to see him come in and try and push for a spot and show that he's ready for NHL action."
So the timeline is still flexible. Commesso could show enough in training camp to win the job outright. Or he could start back in Rockford and still end up seeing more NHL action later, the way last season’s circumstances opened the door for him.
For now, he’s focused on making sure the next version of himself is better than the last. His summer plan is simple: recover, get back in the gym, and keep building.
"Yeah, not much planned. I'm going to definitely take some time to recover and heal, get back in the gym really quickly.
And yeah, I'm really excited. Honestly, just my mindset going into the summer is to have (the) best summer of my pro career.
I'm really looking forward to working out, putting on muscle, and improving on the ice, as well. It's going to be a big summer for me.
I'm really excited, but at the same time, I'm excited to exhale and spend some time with family, see some friends I haven't seen in a while..."
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