The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve signed forward Jason Dickinson to a two-year, $8.5MM contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2025-26 season. Dickinson was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st but opted to remain with the Blackhawks for the next two seasons. The extension comes just four days after the Blackhawks re-signed forward Nick Foligno to a two-year, $9MM contract extension signalling that the Blackhawks have no intention of dealing either player at this year’s NHL trade deadline.
Dickinson is in the third year of a three-year, $7.95MM contract he signed with the Vancouver Canucks back in August of 2021. He was effectively a salary cap dump by the Canucks when they traded him to Chicago in October 2022 alongside a second-round pick for defenseman Riley Stillman. Dickinson then went on to have a career year in Chicago last season with nine goals and 21 assists in 78 games. This season, Dickinson has shattered his career high in goals as he already has 14 on the year in just 43 games fueled by a shooting percentage of 21.2%, which is more than doubled his career average of 10.2%.
The extension for Dickinson is a nice bit of security for the 28-year-old who looked like a buyout candidate just two summers ago. Dickinson has settled into his role in Chicago and could reach 25 goals this season if he continues shooting at his current pace.
For the Blackhawks, this contract is another short-term overpayment, but it’s not likely to hurt the club long-term. Dickinson is a good pro who can help the younger players in the Blackhawks organization get acclimated to the league while providing physicality and a bit of offense.
Interesting. He parlayed an all-time-best season on a terrible team into a handsome 2-year extension with Chicago instead of hitting the FA market in July. Wonder if his agent was like, “TAKE THE MONEY NOW!”
His play fell below expectations in Vancouver. The trade to Chicago made him pull up his socks and play, so, good for him and good for Chicago and time to cash in.
This is a good signing. He can play anywhere on all 4 lines and is excellent on the PK and PP. I couldn’t believe the stories about them trading him. He’s probably the Hawks MVP this year, Bedard notwithstanding. And they GAVE US a 2nd round pick to take him. Thanks, Please send more.
If you watched him in Vancouver you would have made the same deal.
Good for him to get the message and keep his career going.
The Nucks are in cap jail with 333K of space even after using LTIR. The guy you gave them for him is no longer on the roster. They also gave up a 3rd in another cap dump earlier this year. You guys had their hands tied all the way.
If you have another one please send us one. The Hawks need somebody else who can score a goal.
Kuzmenko is probably available and would be perfect on a team like Chicago.
The Hawks lose Tyler Johnson’s 5 million cap hit and Mrazek’s almost 4 million cap hit( Unless they’re dumb enough to sign him back). Connor Murphy has a modified NTC and a 4.4 million cap hit for the 24 and 25 seasons. They’ll probably trade Reichel for whatever they can get and Nazar slides into his place sometime next year at least. Murphy might take a trade if he can get a couple more years out of it, He’ll be 33 when his Hawks deal runs out. The Hawks can take some fliers on guys with short term cap hits trying to find another nugget like Dickinson, Until the big prospects show up.
Kuzmenko could work but he says he wants to stay in Vancouver. Now if the Hawks could lose Seth Jones, Stan Bowman’s gift that will keep giving through eternity, A lot of things are possible.
“Unless they’re dumb enough to sign him back”
They might be, apparently. At roughly the same cap hit.
Vrana and Victor Olofsson might help the lack of goal scoring in Chicago as well. Nothing to lose.
They need people who might have a future not those bums.
A future like Foligno and Corey Perry?
Corey Perry was supposedly signed for his character. Steeeeerike one. I thought Foligno was good for a 1 year extension but they don’t have any big expenditures coming unless Seth Jones can be off loaded. Steeeeerike two. If someone will take Jones then we can talk. I mean as long as we’re unloading unwanted, Overpaid bums.
I’m still shocked by the Foligno extension and in the end he couldn’t protect Bedard, And Perry showed bad character.
Phil Kessel probably can too
That’s a hefty raise for a best-case-scenario third liner. Sure, Hawks have all the room in the world to overpay & need to make SOME effort to show Bedard that they’re not leaving him alone to sell tix, but save some of that dough to shock the NHL world with a rare offer sheet in 2 years, for a sniper winger who’ll move the needle, OK?
No! If you hand out an offer sheet and it’s not matched you owe the other team your OWN 1st and more as compensation.