The Chicago Blackhawks have signed a contract extension with forward Brandon Hagel that will run through 2023-24. The deal will carry an average cap hit of $1.5 million. Chicago has been among the most active teams since the offseason began and this move is just another piece of that effort. Charlie Roumeliotis announced the agreement Friday morning.
#Blackhawks have signed Brandon Hagel to a three-year contract extension. It’s a $1.5 million cap hit, according to a source. https://t.co/GAjKepaz6l
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) August 6, 2021
Blackhawks Give Brandon Hagel Extension
Hagel was a very effective secondary option for the Blackhawks in 2020-21. The second-year skater from Saskatoon posted nine goals and 24 points in 52 games while receiving down-ballot Calder votes. His 45.7 percent Corsi For and -.9 relative Corsi aren’t good, but much of that is do to 59.8 percent of zone starts coming on defence. It was a very successful overall season despite Chicago’s struggles.
The Buffalo Sabres originally drafted Hagel in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft, but failed to sign him within the given time period. He then signed with Chicago in 2018 and had a one-game debut last year. It is hard to get excited about a player picked 159th overall, but he does look like a decent option on a team that has aspirations of competing again soon.
What This Means
Hagel should have a very good chance to win a spot on Chicago’s bottom six going into the coming season. He will have to battle the likes of Jujhar Khaira and some of the team’s prospects, but a commitment of three years shows that the Blackhawks believe in what he can do. Expect some heated battles in training camp as the third and fourth lines take shape.
Chicago is slightly over the salary cap ceiling at this point in the summer, but they do have roughly $2.2 million projected to hit the long-term injured reserve list. That will help them stay under the ceiling when it is necessary. However, they also need to make a decision regarding Alexander Nylander‘s future. They could trade him or someone else in order to make room as the 2021-22 season approaches.
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