Chicago Blackhawks ink multi-year deals with Kane, Toews; long-term deal for Keith

Michael Sepulveda | National Hockey League

Dec 3, 05:33 AM | Hype this story!

Reports are flying around the Internet and through the NHL’s main page, NHL.com, that the Chicago Blackhawks will hold a press conference to announce the signings of captain Jonathan Toews, assistant captain, defenseman Duncan Keith, and scoring winger Patrick Kane.

The Blackhawks are reportedly signing Kane and Toews to five-year deals, while Keith has allegedly agreed to a 13-year deal. If so, Keith’s deal would resemble Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa’s “front loaded” cap circumventing deal, where most of the money will come up front, with little salary in the final years of the contract.

Kane (9G-17A) and Keith (5G-18A) are 1-2 in scoring for the Blackhawks this season. Toews, who has missed six games this season due to injury (concussion), has 6 goals and 10 assists in 20 games.


Update
Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have reportedly agreed to identical 5-year, $31.5M deals. This equates to each player receiving $6.3M per season. Duncan Keith will sign a 13-year contract extension worth $72M, or $5.54M per season.

This guarantees Chicago’s “Big 3” for at least 5 years, if not more.

The Stan Bowman era has truly begun for the Blackhawks.

Comments

  1. DaBich

    Dec 3, 11:49 AM

    I can’t believe the league never addressed this situation when the Hawks signed the deal with Hossa.

  2. Shlim

    Dec 3, 12:44 PM

    wow. didn’t think they’d be able to pull it off. we need letang to take a 15 year deal like this!

  3. TheOneAndOnlySurge

    Dec 4, 08:40 AM

    I think it would be better for Letang if he signed a 5 year deal or less. With his potential a deal like 15 years could end up cutting him short. He could also plateau and end up hurting the Pens. Either way my guess is something much shorter than the Keith deal.

  4. Matt Bodenschatz

    Dec 4, 09:43 AM

    @Dabich, you’re surprised by things the NHL does (or doesn’t do)? You haven’t learned yet? :)

    @Shlim, they’re still going to have to shed salary, as they have Hossa, Huet, and Campbell also making some decent coin. Regardless, this is good news for the Hawks, as these three are their core and their future.

    As for Letang, I tend to agree with Surge. Five years seems about right. I’m always leery of these super long-term deals. Will the player become complacent? What if he gets injured and never returns to form? Or what if the team just decided to change direction…would they be able to trade such a lengthy contract?

    John Buccigross of ESPN had an interesting breakdown of what he (if in Shero’s shoes) would do with Letang and Gonchar:

    “I would probably do a six-year deal with Letang, who is a restricted free agent after this season. I would go: $2 million, $2.5 million, $3 million, $3.5 million, $4 million, $4.5 million. That is $19.5 million guaranteed with a $3.25M cap hit. That is a great contract for both sides.”

    For Gonchar…

    “I would seek a five-year deal with a falling salary scale to help with the cap number: $5 million, $5 million, $4 million, $3 million, $1 million. That guarantees Gonchar $18 million over five years and ensures he will be on a high-level team for the rest of his 30s. Also, the cap number is $3.6 million a year, which will help keep Letang.”

    That’s just under $7 million annual cap hit (not much more than the current cap hit for the two) to keep them locked up. I like it.

  5. DaBich

    Dec 4, 11:58 AM

    Matt, yeah, silly me huh? lol
    I like what Buccigross suggests…a lot!

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