Blackhawks got much-needed cost certainty with Nazar signing

About 48 hours have gone by since the Chicago Blackhawks stunned the NHL world by signing Frank Nazar to a seven-year, $46 million contract extension. The deal has been met with largely positive reactions across the league.

While some reservations remain with regard to Nazar’s deal, the early returns bode well for Nazar and the club.

But there’s a deeper, underlying issue behind Nazar’s extension: Cost certainty.

Cost certainty refers to the Blackhawks knowing how much cap space they’ll be playing with in the coming seasons. Nazar was a significant impending RFA. So, it was imperative for the club to lock him up. Since the Blackhawks already locked up Alex Vlasic last season, the team is down to one huge RFA: Connor Bedard.

By locking up Nazar, the Blackhawks can now figure out how much they can pay Bedard. It’s worth pointing out that the Blackhawks can’t go willy-nilly on Bedard since Lukas Reichel, Kevin Korchinski, and Wyatt Keiser also need new contracts. Keiser, in particular, needs a new contract now.

Had the Blackhawks paid Bedard first, the club could have run into trouble extending Nazar and the rest. That’s not an issue now. The Blackhawks can now focus on extending Bedard, with the other RFAs falling into place accordingly.

Nazar set the tone for Bedard extension

There’s another key consideration regarding cost certainty. Frank Nazar’s extension set the floor for the Blackhawks’ negotiation with Bedard. In other words, Nazar’s extension is the starting point for Bedard’s next contract.

So, fans can expect Bedard to sign for at least $6.5 million AAV. Of course, we all know that won’t be the case. Bedard is expected to land somewhere around $10 million. Perhaps it may be too soon to sign Bedard to a deal that big. Still, it would be ludicrous to imagine Bedard signing for the same amount at Nazar.

The Blackhawks have a projected $63.2 million in cap space for next season. Yes, the club will have several UFAs after this season. But knowing how much it will cost to keep Vlasic, Nazar, Bedard, and company will help the Blackhawks plan for free agent additions next summer.

Moreover, it will also help the club decide which UFAs it will keep moving forward with. Don’t look now, but the Blackhawks could be a radically different club ahead of the 2026-27 season. This club could be a playoff contender sooner than expected.