The Blackhawks may have jumped the gun by locking up Frank Nazar long term

The Chicago Blackhawks took care of some crucial bit of business, locking up Frank Nazar to a seven-year extension worth $46.19 million.

The deal has been met with justifiable excitement from the Blackhawks faithful. Nazar is a promising young player. So, locking him up now makes sense as it gives the team control over its rising stars.

If Nazar turns into the player he appears to be, his $6.5 million cap hit could be one of the biggest bargains in the NHL. Despite the evident benefits of the deal, some reservations remain.

During an appearance on NHL Network on August 21, former NHLer Brian Boyle and former head coach Bruce Boudreau touted the signing, while voicing some concerns. Specifically, Boyle stated:

"“I just think that 52, 53 games, 56 games total, whatever it is, is a small sample size. I worry about it.”"

Brian Boyle on Frank Nazar

Boyle’s comments aren’t out of left field. Nazar has yet to play a full season. So, there’s room for doubt regarding his ability to produce consistently in the NHL. There’s always the possibility that Nazar is just a flash in the pan.

Boudreau added to the concerns, stating:

"“Boy, you got to prove a little bit more before you’re getting a $47 million contract for seven years.”"

Bruce Boudreau on Nazar's contract.

Boudreau’s comments echo Boyle’s concerns that the Blackhawks may have jumped the gun in getting a Nazar extension done when they did. But then again, Nazar is too good to pass up. So, as Boyle also pointed out, the Blackhawks signed the deal to protect Nazar from becoming an offer sheet target.

Extending Frank Nazar long-term is a calculated risk for the Blackhawks

There’s no doubting that Nazar’s NHL career thus far does not provide much in terms of data that the club could go on to assess a contract extension.

So, signing Nazar at this point is somewhat of a calculated risk. After all, there’s an inherent possibility in every contract that it doesn’t work out. Such situations happen with established veterans with legit track records.

That’s why signing Nazar at this point could lead the Blackhawks down a potentially complicated road. If Nazar does not turn into the player the club believes he can be, they might be stuck with an immovable long-term contract.

Now, am I saying that is going to be the case? No. I’m not advocating that Nazar will be a flop. If anything, he’s got the potential to become a number-one center. Perhaps the Blackhawks shift Connor Bedard to the wing and stack Nazar with Bedard much the same way the Oilers stack Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on one unit.

But until Bedard and Nazar get to McDavid-Draisaitl territory, questions will linger around Frank Nazar’s massive extension.

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