The Chicago Blackhawks and goalie Arvid Soderblom avoided arbitration and agreed to a two-year contract worth $5.5 million. The deal carries a cap hit of $2.75 million per year. Soderblom was the only player the Blackhawks had going to arbitration this offseason. He is a restricted free agent who showed progress, with a .898 save percentage last season. Chicago sees Spencer Knight as the future starter. But Soderblom is seen as a good backup option. He adds needed depth to the goalie position for the Hawks.NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared the news on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote:"Chicago and Arvid Soderblom avoid arbitration 2 x $2.75M."Soon, fans noticed the post and reacted to the update online."Announce Samberg 5.75x8 next," one fan posted."Might be the most boring offseason ever lol, and to see all you insiders hype this crap up," another fan wrote."Decent little tandem they got there with Soderblom and Spencer Knight," a fan mentioned.Some fans supported the signing and said it was a fair deal for both sides. Others found the news unexciting, waiting for some other signings."Brossoit is somewhere on planet Earth I think," a fan said, referring to Hawks goalie Laurent Brossoit, who is also in his final year of contract, awaiting an extension."This is a BIG overpay. Not to mention Chicago has 3 other goalies and their hopeful future goalie is very close to NHL-ready. What is Chicago’s GM thinking???" a fan questioned the Hawks GM's decision."Solid deal for Chicago Soderblom showing promise between the pipes. Hope he develops well for them." a fan said.Blackhawks' Arvid Soderblom improved his performanceThe Blackhawks have extended goaltender Arvid Soderblom's contract to 2026-27. Last season, Soderblom played 36 games and finished 10-18-7. He had a 3.18 goals-against average, but his win total increased by five from the previous season. Similarly, his save percentage and GAA have also improved.The Blackhawks missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year last season. They finished the season with a 25-46-11 record. The team allowed 3.56 goals per game, the second most in the league. Poor defense, inconsistent play and trades of key veterans hurt their season. But young players like Connor Bedard and Spencer Knight give fans hope for better results next year.