Chicago Blackhawks’ Frank Nazar extension nets praise

After less than one full season in the NHL, former top prospect Frank Nazar has been locked down for the foreseeable future. His contract won’t end until 2032 now, so for better or worse, he is a major piece of the puzzle now.

The extension happened rather early in Nazar’s career, but this is something sports teams, mainly baseball and hockey teams, are doing a lot. It’s something the Carolina Hurricanes, an organization run like a well-oiled machine, do a lot.

Rookie forward Jackson Blake is the most recent example. He had 34 points as a rookie last year, and he signed an eight-year contract with a $5.12 AAV this summer. The Chicago Blackhawks did that with Nazar, and Chicago Sun-Times insider Ben Pope loves emulating the Hurricanes.

“Davidson and Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky are indeed friends and frequent trade partners, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Davidson continue to try to replicate Tulsky’s tactics,” he said. “But there’s also a potentially high reward. If Nazar takes a nother big step forward and doubles his production this season, the Hawks will suddenly have a bargain contract on their hands.”

The risk is that the young player can’t hit his ceiling, or that the 26 points in 53 games run he went on last year is his ceiling. The future is unknown, but the Blackhawks are taking the bet that this breakout year will be the floor for him moving forward. There’s a chance they’re right.

“Plus, a $6.6 million cap hit will become increasingly less prohibitive as the cap rises,” Pope pointed out. “When it kicks in in 2026-27, it’ll occupy 6.3% of the projected team cap ($104 million) — the same percentage a $5.3 million cap hit occupied in 2023-24, for example. By 2031-32, it’ll occupy an even smaller percentage.” There’s certainly a major risk, but this is the thing smart franchises do all the time.