Alex Vlasic signed a six-year contract with the Blackhawks.
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The Wilmette kid is staying in Chicago for six more years.
The Blackhawks signed young defenseman Alex Vlasic, the local product coming off a splendid first full NHL season, to a six-year contract Thursday with a $4.6 million salary-cap hit.
“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “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 said in his exit interview less than a week ago that he would seek a long-term contract this offseason, now that his entry-level deal was expiring.
“It’s amazing being able to play for my hometown team, [in] the same city I grew up in, so I’m not really looking to go anywhere else,” Vlasic said.
It didn’t take long for him to get his wish, and the Hawks will surely be pleased, too, to get him locked in at such a reasonable price. His contract ended up being very similar to the contract signed last summer by Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson — seven years at $4.3 million per year — that seemed all along like a comparable model.
His future in Chicago is now secured through 2030, tying him with veteran defenseman Seth Jones — his regular top-pairing partner this season — for the most remaining years under contract on the team. In fact, they’re the only two Hawks signed beyond 2026 at the moment, so the roster will likely evolve dramatically around him during the time period ahead.
His contract includes a clause allowing him to submit a 10-team no-trade list in the fifth and sixth years, but he shouldn’t have to worry much about any trade possibilities regardless.
He tallied two goals and 14 assists in 76 games this season, but his impact was far greater in terms of shutdown defense and puck-moving out of the defensive zone.
This story will be updated.