NEWSLETTER
With the Chicago Blackhawks having off days on Saturday and Sunday, you would figure the team would be taking time to rest and re-evaluate the remaining eight games of the season as their playoff hopes fade to black. Part of that re-evaluation process apparently included figuring out what to do with one of your newly acquired players on an expiring contract as the Blackhawks and defenseman Riley Stillman have signed a three-year contract extension.
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Defenseman Riley Stillman has inked a 3-year contract extension. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/etf3GWoS0v
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 25, 2021
Stillman was set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season after coming to the Blackhawks from the Florida Panthers at the NHL Trade Deadline. He was inserted into the lineup and quickly became one of the most deployed defenders for the Blackhawks. Chicago has signed him to a three-year deal that will go through the 2023-24 season with a $1.35M AAV Cap Hit.
"He is growing into an excellent all-around defenseman and that continued development is something we look forward to seeing firsthand."
–#Blackhawks President of Hockey Ops and GM Stan Bowman on Riley Stillman's contract extension. pic.twitter.com/w6VHvmL9gB
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 25, 2021
A lot of the focus around Stillman since he came to Chicago has been on three things: His age, his style of play, and his next contract. All three of those factors play into his favor when it came down to the Blackhawks having to figure out what to do with their defensive group and more specifically Nikita Zadorov. With the three-year extension of Stillman today, all signs indicate that the Blackhawks feel that Zadorov was not going to be worth the money he was going to be asking for this offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. His play on the ice also factoring into the fact that he won’t be worth that kind of money.
Stillman, who just turned 23-years-old, has 49 career NHL games and five career assists. He has skated in six games with the Blackhawks this season without recording any points and is averaging 16:43 minutes per game.
