The Chicago Blackhawks have reportedly signed defenseman Alex Vlasic to a six-year contract extension, securing one of their top prospects for the time being. athletic Scott Powers.
The contract will keep him with the club through the 2029-30 season and is worth $27.6 million, with an average annual salary of $4.6 million.
Vlasic, 22, played his first full NHL season with the Blackhawks in 2023-24, appearing in 76 games and recording two goals and 14 assists for 16 points. However, it was his play away from the puck that stood out to both the team's coaches and fans, and he became the Blackhawks' top shutdown defender throughout the second half of the season.
“Alex has made great strides this year and proven that he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a team statement. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex has established himself as a key part of our young core. We are excited to have him with us for the next six years.”
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Vlasic finished the season with a team-leading 148 blocked shots and the second-highest average time on ice at 21 minutes, 29 seconds. He also averaged the second-highest ice time on the penalty kill, logging 2 hours and 19 minutes per night.
“I want to be here as long as possible,” Vlasic told the media on April 20. “It's great to be able to play for your hometown team, the same team as the city you grew up in, so I don't really want to play.'' Go somewhere else. I want to be here as long as possible and he knows that. ”
THW Blackhawks reporters Brooke Lofano and Gail Kawchak gave Vlasic the highest grade, an “A,” in their defensive performance for the 2023-24 season.
“It's really impressive to see Vlasic consistently perform well all season. He's very good at using his size and long reach to break up plays,” Kawczak said. “(H)e is smart and almost always in the right position. There's always room for improvement, so I don't believe in giving him a perfect score. But considering this was his first full NHL season. And Vlasic was pretty close.”
Blackhawks drafted Vlasic in 2019
Vlasic was selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and spent three years at Boston University, where he became one of the preeminent shutdown defenders in college hockey. He led the team in blocked shots during his senior season and earned Hockey East All-Star honors.
He played in 82 games over his three college seasons, scoring 4 goals and 16 assists for 20 points. He served as an alternate captain during his junior season.
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The Wilmette, Illinois, native signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks in March 2022 and appeared in 15 games with the club late in the season. He spent most of the 2022-23 season with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), recording two goals, 17 assists, and 19 points in 56 games.
The 6-foot-6 defender represented the United States at the 2019 U18 World Championships, winning a bronze medal.
