The Blackhawks have signed first-round pick Kirby Dach to a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.
Dach gets the maximum cap hit of $925,000, and although there’s no mention in the press release, it’s likely he’s also receiving performance-based bonuses like other top draft picks.
The deal is set to run through the 2021-22 season if he makes the NHL in the fall.
“When you look at the game that Kirby brings to Chicago, he’s got a little bit of everything,” GM Stan Bowman said June 24 at Dach’s introductory press conference. “He’s got the skill to play with the high-skill players. He can make plays that can wow you. He’s also got the competitiveness to show that he wants it more than anyone else. We’ve got a special player here and, as you’ll see, we’re excited for what’s to come.”
Dach, 18, was selected by the Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft last month.
He was a bit of a surprise choice after most reports had the team focused on Alex Turcotte and Bowen Byram in the lead up to draft night. Bowman, however, opted for the big, reliable Canadian center instead.
The entry-level contract does not change the likelihood of Dach playing on the Hawks next season, which could happen but remains unlikely. Bowman made it clear at Dach’s introductory press conference June 24 that the draft selection was made with long-term projection, rather than short-term fit, in mind.
“One area where I need to add is a little bit more size,” Dach said. “The other thing I need to learn is just the pace of play. I don’t understand what that’s going to be like until I get there and play with those guys and practice with them.”
If he returns to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades for another season, his contract will “slide” — meaning it’ll simply be pushed back a season with the terms remaining the same.
On the flip side, he’ll start burning through the contract if he plays 10 or more games in the NHL next season.
