A 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, who will turn 23 in June, said in his exit interview last weekend that he would seek a long-term contract this offseason with his entry-level deal 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 recently signed by Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson — seven years at roughly $4.3 million per year — that seemed all along like a comparable model.
Details of the contract
Vlasic’s 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, per PuckPedia, but he shouldn’t have to worry much about any trade possibilities regardless.
The 6-6 blueliner 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 ability.
Despite facing the top players in the league every night — Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Jason Robertson, Mark Schiefele and Kirill Kaprizov were among the 10 forwards with whom he spent the most time-on-ice — he allowed the fewest scoring chances per minute among Hawks defensemen.
He also was the only Hawks defenseman to finish above the NHL average in both clearances and exits with possession out of the defensive zone, per All Three Zones.
Looking ahead
Reflecting on his season, he mentioned the Hawks’ fourth game of the season in Toronto as the moment he realized what a big step he had taken from last season, which he mostly spent developing in the AHL.
“That was a turning point for me in the year,” Vlasic said. “I was like: ‘I’m here and I’m pretty good.’ ... I was playing against Auston Matthews and their top line, and we shut them down. It was a pretty cool feeling to have that success and see it translate.”
He’ll play alongside Jones for the U.S. team in the World Championships in Czechia next month. Then he’ll get to work on his summer training, hoping to continue getting stronger while also improving his shot.
Weight-wise, he entered this season at 218 pounds and finished it at 215. He’s aiming to enter next season weighing around 225 pounds.
“I know some guys...don’t feel great when they have a lot of muscle mass; you kind of feel clunky on the ice,” he said. “But I haven’t gotten to that point yet. I want to keep pushing myself and testing the limit — maybe it’s even 230 that I still feel the same on the ice with. [I’m] just trying to gain as much weight as possible and see where it takes me.”
