The Chicago Blackhawks may not be playing games, but the team has remained active on the transaction front, inking extensions with two players and signing two other players to entry-level contracts.
On Thursday, the Blackhawks agreed to terms with forward Matthew Highmore on a new two-year contract extension, and also signed minor league goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a two-year extension.
The Blackhawks also signed 2017 third-round pick Evan Barratt to a three-year entry-level contract, and signed 2017 third-round pick Andrei Altybarmakyan to a two-year entry-level deal.
All four contracts will take effect with the start of the 2020-21 season.
Highmore’s extension will pay him an average of $725,000 over the two seasons. Year one of the extension is a two-way deal, meaning that Highmore would not have to pass through waivers to go back to the AHL, but the second year of the deal is a one-way contract, according to the team.
Highmore has appeared in 36 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, scoring a pair of goals and dishing out four assists in those games.
Lankinen’s deal has a similar structure, with an $800,000 average value, according to the team. The goaltender posted an 8-10-2 record and a 3.03 goals against average with the Rockford IceHogs this season. He largely split time with Collin Delia, and could be competing for the Blackhawks’ back-up job next season.
Local
Barratt, who just wrapped up his collegiate career at Penn State, will earn an average of $870,000 per season on the new contract, which will run through the end of the 2022-23 season. Barratt registered 12 goals and 22 assists with the Nittany Lions last season, and was named a First-Team All-Big Ten player after the 2018-19 campaign.
Altybarmakyan played in the Kontinental Hockey League last season with Sochi, registering six points in 38 games.
