What the Blackhawks are getting in Roman Kantserov

The Roman Kantserov watch is over, as it didn’t take long to get him under contract. The Chicago Blackhawks signed the dynamic young forward to his three-year entry-level contract today. The dynamic Russian forward is signed through the 2028-29 season, on a $1.075 million salary cap hit. If he can reach his full potential, that will be a tremendous bargain.

We learned last week that Kantserov had the remainder of his KHL contract terminated, as it was set to expire at the end of the month anyway. This allowed him and the Blackhawks to negotiate and sign the deal today. We’ve been hearing a lot about Kantserov for the past couple of years, but what exactly are the Blackhawks getting?

A Top-Six Forward Who Can Score in Many Ways

The Blackhawks selected Kantserov as the 44th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He started turning heads during the 2024 KHL playoffs, scoring 4 goals and 13 points to help Metallurg Magnitogorsk win the Gagarin Cup. This past season, the excitement in Chicago grew as he led the KHL in goals. His 36 goals and 64 points broke Kirill Kaprizov’s league record for the most play a player under 22.

Kantserov is not a one-trick pony. He’s a good skater and is involved in all facets of the game. He can change direction quickly to get around defenders in transition. He has good vision and a high hockey IQ. His awareness on the ice is superb, as he knows where to be on the ice in all three zones. His style of play should make his transition in the NHL a smooth one.

He can score in many different ways. He can quickly snipe the puck past the goaltender.

He has smooth hands, which allow him to make plays like this and finish with a backhander.

While he’s only 5’9, he’s not afraid to get to the front of the net to score from the dirty areas of the ice.

Kantserov added more physicality and defensive awareness to his game while leading the league in goals. He should be inserted into the top six from day one. Having him and Anton Frondell on the roster from opening night will make the Blackhawks far more dangerous offensively.

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