Massive news in Chicago: Kent Hughes will be furious

Big news has just been confirmed in Chicago, which will directly impact Kaiden Guhle and the Canadiens, with an announcement involving defenseman Alex Vlasic.

The 22-year-old has just signed a whopping six-year extension worth nearly $5 million per season, totaling $27 million.

This is truly a surprise in the hockey world, especially given that Vlasic has only one full NHL season under his belt, during which he recorded two goals and 16 points in 76 games.

Although he is more renowned as a defensive back, his performance with the Blackhawks has not justified such an amount, especially after just 97 career games where he has only 19 points.


However, it must be noted that Vlasic plays on the team's first defensive pair with Seth Jones and averaged over 21 minutes per game this year.

A signing that will have repercussions all the way to Montreal

This signing is certainly bad news for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens, a few months ahead of contract negotiations with an important young defender like Kaiden Guhle.

Like Vlasic in Chicago, the CH's 2020 first-round pick faces the opponents' top lines night after night, and he also averaged 21 minutes per game this season.

The big difference, and what will work against the Canadiens in negotiations, is that Guhle's offensive potential is significantly higher than Vlasic's. He has scored 10 goals and 40 points in 110 NHL games so far.

From now on, this signing has become the minimum benchmark for the number 21 of the Canadiens, which means we should not be surprised if it now costs more than $5.5 million annually to extend him in Montreal.

General Manager Kent Hughes is probably not pleased with this news today.