Just a quick blog here: in a surprising move, the Hawks are signing prospect Frank Nazar to a three-year entry-level deal, and he is expected to join the team immediately. This means the team will be burning the first year of his deal for 2-3 games. So once this contract expires, that will mean Nazar, Korchinski, and Bedard will all need new deals at the end of the 2025–2026 season. Having one year burned for just a few games will play in the team's favor when it comes time to negotiate the next deal and should save the team money in the long run, but that's neither here nor there at this time. What is important is that another one of the top prospects in this organization is making the jump, and KD is beginning to show his cards on the rebuild just a bit. This team is ready to invest in the future young core and give them the right amount of time to develop into NHL-caliber players with good experience. I had always projected that the time to spend and contend was going to be the final year of Beard’s ELC or the first year of his new deal, and I think that is starting to look very realistic. More young players such as Rinzel, Moore, and whoever the team picks this year can have another year at school or juniors, and come fall 2025, be ready to make the jump and help bring this team back to greatness.
As for Nazar, what is the team getting from this player? Fresh off a Frozen Four appearance, the forward is looking to build off his momentum from a great sophomore season. He was a point-per-game player, putting up 41 points (17-24) in 41 games. There were questions about how he would play this year after missing most of his freshman season with an injury, but he made it very clear that there were no issues. He played for Team USA at the World Junior Championship, where he would put up eight assists and, with future teammates Moore and Rinzel, claim the gold over Sweden.
I know this has been a long season, and even though it pretty much went as expected, it didn’t make it any easier to watch losing hockey as much as we did. However, with the addition of Bedard, the emergence of Vlasic and Korchinski on the back end, and now the commitment to bringing in Nazar, if you are not excited for the future of this team, it's about time you get there because there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we are going to reach it faster than you might think.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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