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 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 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.
This story will be updated.