Jason Dickinson Signing Shows the Chicago Blackhawks are Willing to Support Their Young Players

An NHL rebuild requires a lot from all parties. The team needs to make shrewd moves to gather talent and develop those players through lean times. Basically, the team needs to be willing to lose short term to win long term. The fans need to be on board and support some really bad hockey at times. It's a balancing act for sure. The good news for Hawks fans is that GM Kyle Davidson is willing to spend a little to support the young players, add leadership and potentially put a better product on the ice.

Coming on the heels of the Nick Foligno $4.5 million extension, Kyle Davidson has signed Jason Dickinson to a two year, $4.25 million extension. He has certainly earned it. Dickinson is only 28 years old. He has 14 goals and seven assists through 43 games. And, as importantly, he has been available every game, something the Blackhawks desperately need.

Of Dickinson, Kyle Davidson says, "Jason adds a unique two-way game to our lineup and his compete level is consistently strong every night. He's showing his offensive game this year, which has been a huge lift to our team. his leadership has been instrumental, and the impact has been evident around the room, particularly with our young guys. We're excited to bring him back and to see him continue to grow with our team."

The contract term for Foligno and Dickinson is perfect for a rebuilding team. It guarantees leadership for two years. It also provides necessary salary against the cap. At this point, the Blackhawks have very few significant contracts: among those are Seth Jones, Nick Foligno, Taylor Hall, Andreas Athanasiou and now Dickinson. Of those, Hall and Athanasiou drop off after next year.

Most of the contracts that the Blackhawks will have to worry about long term will come near the end of the Foligno and Dickinson contracts. Vlasic and Bedard will sign significant contracts during this term, but there is plenty of space for them. The rest of the future players will be on entry level contracts through this time period. Additionally, the recapture and buyout money for Brett Connoly and Duncan Keith fall off at the end of this year as well; that represents $3.1 million.

Kyle Davidson continues to make smart decisions. Signing Foligno and now Dickinson provides the necessary leadership to take Chicago to the next level. Money is not a concern. Davidson continues to move deftly through this rebuild.