Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane wanted to sign large, matching contracts with the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s exactly what happened as the duo each signed eight-year contracts with a reported average cap hit of $10.5 million a season which will begin following the 2014-15 season. The two men are now under Chicago’s control through the 2021-22 season.
There are going to be two reactions to this news:
1. “Chicago blew it! That’s way too much for two guys!”
2. “Stars deserve to get paid.”
Perspective is important when breaking down news like this. The new contracts for Kane and Toews are huge. As of right now, they’ll carry the largest cap hit of any players in the NHL for the 2015-16 season. However, it’s important to reflect on the past while analyzing the present and future.
Extensions kick in starting in 2015-16, when cap should be $75-million. $10.5-million on that cap is like $7-million on a $50-million cap.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 9, 2014
The cap was last $50-million in 2007-08, a year when seven players had a cap hit of more than $7-million.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) July 9, 2014
As the cap grows, so too will player contracts. There’s the very real possibility that the Kane/Toews deals will look like a bargain down the road as the NHL continues to extend the cap. That’s an assumption, but it’s fair to say that in a couple of years the cap will in fact be higher and the percentage of salary locked up in Kane/Toews won’t look quite as daunting.
Kane and Toews have been the heart and soul of the Chicago Blackhawks. They deserved a big raise and that’s exactly what they received. The only real concern for the Blackhawks is that Kane and Toews may decline towards the end of their extension. It’s pretty difficult to guess what form they’ll be in beyond 30. For now, Toews (26) and Kane (25) have several good years ahead of them and Chicago’s banking on it leading to more Cups.
Of course, locking up so much money between just two skaters leads to challenges in other areas. Chicago will have to make some difficult decisions moving forward (so long Patrick Sharp?) which should mean an interesting summer in 2014 and 2015.
