Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews both signed contract extensions with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $84 million dollars over eight years. Their current contracts, which have a cap hit of $6.3 million per season, were set expire at the end of this season. At the moment they are set to become the highest paid players for the 15-16 season. Each of them will make $10.5 million per season and together their contracts will eat up 30% of the salary cap of $69 million assuming the cap does not rise for the 2015-2016 season.

While it may seem impossible for the Blackhawks to put talent around their two young superstars, it is unlikely that they will have any issues due to the rising salary cap and other talented players on long term deals already under contract. 

Thirty percent of the salary cap is a lot. While the dollar amount and the term seem absolutely ridiculous we can look back at other star players who signed similar contracts for comparison.

Alexander Ovechkin signed his extension with the Capitals in the summer of 2008. His 13 year deal with a value of 124 million dollars carries a cap hit of just over $9.5 million dollars per season. In 2008-2009 the salary cap was set at $56.7 million. That season, Ovechkin’s salary took up 16.8% of the cap. This season his contract will only take up 13.8% of the cap and as long as the salary cap keeps rising every year the percentage of the cap his contract takes up will continue to go down. 

The same goes for Kane and Toews. Their combined salaries may take up less than 30% of the salary cap in 2015-2016 because we don’t know what the cap will be for that season yet. It is expected that league revenues will continue to grow and in turn so will the salary cap. By the end of their eight-year deals their salaries could each go from taking up 15% of the cap to 11%. 

Now, even if their salaries were to remain constant in the sense that they always took up the same percentage of the salary cap each year, the Blakchawks are in very good shape because of key players they have under contract, some of which are at bargain prices. Players including Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford all have long term deals that will only become more affordable each time the salary cap rises. Of those five players Corey Crawford has the highest cap hit of $6 million. Crawford’s contract only takes up 8.7% of the salary cap.     

Duncan Keith’s contract is without a doubt one of the most cap friendly contracts in the NHL. He is locked in with the Blackhawks for another 9 seasons and for this season his salary will on take up 8% of the cap. He is a two time Norris Trophy winner and and has been a top-5 NHL defenseman for the last five seasons. As long as Keith stays healthy and isn’t traded he will be the Blackhawk’s top defenceman for years to come. Brent Seabrook’s cap hit is very similar to Keith’s but his contract expires in two years. We will have to wait and see what happens but it is expected that next summer the Blackhawk’s will look into re-signing him.

Hjalmarsson has another five years left on his contract and he is an underrated defence man. He averages over 21 minutes of ice time per game on the second defence pairing allowing Duncan Keith’s minutes to stay relatively low at just over 24 minutes per game. He does not provide tons of offence but he is very sound defensively.

As of right now, the Blackhawks are $2.2 million dollars over the salary cap and they will have to shed that amount off their books by the start of the season. Johnny Oduya’s name has surfaced in many rumours that he will be traded but not one of those rumours holds any truth. Oduya and Hjalmarsson make a great second pair and they both log 20+ minutes per game. It would not be wise to separate the two Swedes. Sharp’s name has also surfaced in rumours but I have difficulty believing that the Blackhawks will trade a four time 30 goal scorer with an extremely affordable contract. Players who are more likely to be traded to relieve cap space are Bryan Bickell, Kris Versteeg and Michal Rozsival. Bickell is entering the second year of a four year deal which has an annual cap hit of $4 million. 

One of the Blackhawk’s weaknesses that was exposed in the semi-finals against the Kings was a lack of depth at center. This was addressed by signing Brad Richards to a one-year, $2 million dollar deal. For a player who put up 20 goals and 51 points last year which by Brad Richard’s standards is considered a bad year, this deal is going to be the steal of free agency. Richards will most likely center the second line and have Patrick Kane as one of his wingers. Assuming he sticks on the second line and is not relegated to the third line he will have a huge boost in point production this season. 

Teevu Teravainen will be a name to look out for this season. The young Fin played in three games last season and it is expected that he will be given a chance to make the roster in training camp. If he does not make the team he will most likely play for the Rockford Ice Hogs in the AHL and may get a chance to get some games played with the Blackhawks if they have injuries up front. 

After this season, Brandon Saad will be a restricted free agent. He will most likely be signed to a bridge deal similar to Nazem Kadri’s current contract (two years, $2.9 cap hit per year). Saad had 47 points in 78 games last year and had 16 points in 19 playoff games. 

Aside from the addition of Richards, the Blackhawks have kept almost the same lineup that took them to an overtime loss in game seven of the semi finals. Once again they will be a contender for the Stanley Cup this season and they will be an exciting team to watch. They have an amazing breakout from the defensive zone and transition to offence very quickly. They will make the playoffs effortlessly.