Blackhawks make $4.6 million Alex Vlasic move to kick off offseason

The Chicago Blackhawks and defenseman Alex Vlasic are reportedly in agreement on a six-year extension that is worth $4.6 million a year, according to Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet.

The Blackhawks are locking in a young, promising defenseman in Alex Vlasic for the foreseeable future on what could be a very valuable contract for the team. He is coming off of his age 22 season, which was the first time that he got consistent playing time in the NHL.

This past season, Vlasic played in 76 games for the Blackhawks and put up two goals and 14 assists for 16 total points, according to Hockey Reference. Vlasic is more of a defensive defenseman, and is likely not someone who who will be known to contribute much on offense. However, the Blackhawks’ roster was not very strong, so maybe as the roster improves, his point totals will go up.

It remains to be seen, but the Blackhawks have committed to Vlasic as one of their cornerstone players for the future, a group that is headlined by last summer’s No. 1 pick in Connor Bedard.

Despite having some young talent on the roster, the Blackhawks finished near the bottom of the league. Chicago had a 23-53-6 record this season, good for 52 points, which was only better than the San Jose Sharks, who finished with a 19-54-9 record and 47 points.

Due to the bad year, the Blackhawks are very much in play for the No. 1 pick again in this year’s NHL lottery. The franchise could end up picking anywhere between first and fourth overall. The odds for the No. 1 pick for the Blackhawks are at 13.5%, with No. 2 being set at 14.1%, No. 3 being at 30.7% and No. 4 being at 41.7%, according to Tankathon.

What is the Blackhawks’ plan for the future?

The Blackhawks are clearly trying to build a young core of players. As mentioned before, Connor Bedard is the centerpiece. He showed a lot of promise in his rookie year. Now, Vlasic is going to be a key player as well. As mentioned before, Vlasic is a true defensive defenseman. He does not bring much from an offensive standpoint, but that does not mean he is not a valuable player for the franchise.

When it comes to the advanced metrics, Vlasic grades out incredibly well defensively. It is harder to evaluate defense in hockey, because you can not simply just look at point totals. Still, those who know advanced hockey metrics believe this is a good value contract for the Blackhawks.