3 reasons why Blackhawks may regret Frank Nazar's 7-year, $46.13 million contract extension

The Chicago Blackhawks got some major bit of business done on Thursday by locking up budding star Frank Nazar to a seven-year, $46.13 million contract extension, PuckPedia reported.

The deal has been met with praise from fans and local media. But some reservations remain as to the deal’s long-term feasibility.

So, it’s worth delving into the three reasons why the Chicago Blackhawks may regret extending Frank Nazar to the lucrative deal they did on Thursday.

3 reasons why Blackhawks may regret Frank Nazar's contract extension

#3 Nazar’s limited NHL experience

Frank Nazar has all of 56 NHL games under his belt. While the 21-year-old has impressed in that small sample size, questions emerge about extending him to a $46 million deal without even playing a full NHL season.

Based on his early numbers, one can assume Nazar will only get better with time. If he can reach his ceiling, Nazar could morph into a top-line center. That could make his early numbers look pedestrian in comparison to the numbers he could produce.

But until he does, there will be concerns that the Blackhawks overpaid for Nazar before he proves he deserves the payday.

#2 Nazar hasn’t won anything

Frank Nazar has yet to win any meaningful individual awards or major championships. Aside from his participation in Team USA’s win at the IIHF World Championships this past spring, Nazar hasn’t been a part of any major victories at the professional level or earned indivudal awards across various levels.

His showing at the 2022 World Junior Championships was impressive, scoring three goals and nine points in six games. That effort earned the American side a silver medal. In the 2024 World Juniors, Nazar did not score any goals, but registered eight assists en route to a gold medal.

However, the Blackhawks are not paying Nazar for his World Juniors medals. He’s getting paid to produce at the NHL level and win Stanley Cups. If Nazar can deliver, the deal could look like a steal. But it won’t until Nazar delivers.

#1 The Blackhawks bought RFA, not UFA years

At 21, the Blackhawks could have had at least five more RFA years with Nazar. That situation means the club wouldn’t have been forced to shell out a hefty contract for the 21-year-old. As such, the club could have paid less for Nazar’s RFA years, eventually dishing out the big bucks for his UFA years.

The Blackhawks likely believed that paying for Nazar now would have provided them with cost certainty moving forward. But a $6.59 million cap hit for an unproven player could be too high. Despite the cost certainty, the Blackhawks could have waited until after this season to have more data to assess Nazar’s true value.