The Chicago Blackhawks have locked up a long-term piece on the blue line.
Defenseman Alex Vlasic, who was set to be a restricted free agent this summer, inked a 6-year contract extension with an annual salary cap hit of $4.6 million on Thursday morning.
The contract comes after Vlasic emerged as one of Chicago’s most promising young players, skating an average ice time of 21:29 in 76 games with 16 points (2 G, 14 A) during his first full NHL season. That ice time figure was second on the team, trailing only Seth Jones (25:29), who teamed with Vlasic on what was Chicago’s de facto top pairing all season long.
“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” said Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson in a statement released by the team. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex established himself as an important piece of our young core, and we’re excited to have him with us for the next six years.”
Vlasic originally came to the Blackhawks as a second-round pick (43rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft and had played in just 21 NHL games in the prior two seasons before making the full-time leap this season. And he was one of Chicago’s best players, per just about every ounce of data out there:
Vlasic, who’ll turn 23 this summer, seems well-positioned to outperform this contract as soon as next season. Should he continue on the upward trajectory that told the story of his first full NHL season, this contract could be an outright steal for the Blackhawks for the rest of this decade.
Some more details on the contract, including the limited no-movement clause that shows up towards the end of the deal: