Even as the Chicago Blackhawks appear stuck in limbo between trying to contend for the postseason or selling off to [begin a rebuild](https://www.betchicago.com/chicago-blackhawks-solutions-oriented-second-half), one of the bright spots has been the play of goaltender Collin Delia. The Blackhawks were always hopeful the 24-year-old rookie would factor into their long-term plans, but it wasn’t until last year that he really started popping as a prospect. Even then, nobody expected him to play as well as he has since being called up in late December. __Play to win:__ [Enter our free contests. Win cool merch or even cash.](https://betchicago.chalkline.com/) It’s a small sample size, but Delia’s numbers in the 11 games since his call-up are eye-popping. He has a .922 save percentage, and the Blackhawks (20-24-9) are 5-2-3 in his 10 starts (65 percent of available points in those games). Of course, those numbers (albeit solid) only scratch the surface of a goalie's true value. The good news for the Blackhawks (so far), is that Delia only gets better the deeper we dive into the statistics. Delia plays in front of one of the worst defenses in hockey, facing the closest average shot distance (33 feet) of any goalie who's played at least 10 games. And yet his save percentage is eighth-best among goalies who meet that 10-game criteria. Delia has been at his best when the Blackhawks have needed him most. He’s faced 128 shots on goal created by high-danger scoring chances and turned away 112 (an .875 save percentage), [according to Natural Stat Trick](https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20182019&thruseason=20182019&stype=2&sit=all&score=all&stdoi=g&rate=n&team=ALL&pos=S&loc=B&toi=0&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single). Only Winnipeg backup Laurent Brossoit has been better in those situations among goalies who have played at least 10 games. Brossoit has a .888 high-danger save percentage, but he has a better defense that yields fewer high-danger shots, and he faces shots from an average distance of 37.8 feet. Delia has been one of the top goaltenders in the NHL from an analytics standpoint in a small sample size. That has helped reinforce the organization’s views on him as a potential long-term option. The Blackhawks even recently [announced](https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/corey-crawford-concussion-injury-return-chicago-blackhawks/) that Delia’s development would take precedent while they sort through whatever comes next for Corey Crawford. They had still been leaning on Cam Ward, much to the chagrin of many ([or at least one](https://www.betchicago.com/blackhawks-winter-classic-youth-showcase)). Ward has been nice as insurance, but that ice time is better served with the younger player in net. And while it has no impact on Chicago’s views of Delia as a prospect, the 24-year-old’s hot streak prompted the folks at EA Sports to give him a six-point bump in his NHL 19 ratings. He’s now a 72 overall, which should make fans’ plans of rebuilding the Blackhawks a little easier, even if the real-life prospects of updating the roster looks overwhelming. <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLBlackhawks/status/1092455120359567360" class="embedly-card" data-card-width="100%" data-card-controls="0">Embedded content: https://twitter.com/NHLBlackhawks/status/1092455120359567360</a> But the potential that Delia could be the goalie of the future is a positive step in the right direction for an organization that needs every inch it can get right now. And his play is a positive no matter how this season turns out, because he's not only their best in-house option long-term, he's also their best short-term option. __Read on:__ [More NHL coverage from BetChicago](https://www.betchicago.com/nhl-betting)