The team from the Windy City has locked in a blueliner for several years.
On Thursday, the Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman Alex Vlasic to a six-year contract extension, kicking in next season. The deal carries a $4.6 million cap hit through the 2029-30 season.
Scott Powers of The Athletic was the first to report the signing. Vlasic just finished the final year of a three-year contract with an AAV of $1,491,667.
Vlasic has slowly built his way up the defensive depth chart within the Blackhawks organization since entering the professional ranks late in the 2021-22 season. The 6-foot-6 blueliner was originally selected by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft after building up his stock as a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program.
“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said in a release. “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 spent most of the 2022-23 campaign with Chicago’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The Wilmette, Illinois native was in the Blackhawks lineup from the onset of this season, and though he missed some time due to injury, Vlasic ended up playing 76 games, posting two goals and 16 points. He also averaged almost 21-and-a-half minutes of ice time, second only to Seth Jones.
Vlasic’s play over the season earned him an invite to play for the United States at the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championship, where Jones will join him.
In 97 career NHL games, Vlasic has scored three goals and 19 points, with a minus-seven rating.
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