BREAKING: Chicago Blackhawks Sign Winger to a Big Extension

The Chicago Blackhawks have locked up a key asset before Free Agency.

Chicago has re-signed pending UFA Andreas Athansiou to a two-year, 8.5M contract extension. The deal carries a cap hit of $4.25M for the next two seasons.

Athansiou, 28, had 20 Goals and 40 Points in 81 Games for Chicago, who look for an improvement on a lowly season that saw the end of the Blackhawk careers of longtime stars Jonathan Toews & Patrick Kane, but rewarded with the first overall pick in this year's NHL Draft, the pick widely expected to be used on generational prospect Connor Bedard.

Athanasiou, one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, will be both a quick-footed player able to keep up with Chicago's young roster, but will be an expected leader in a locker room undergoing a momentous change.

Athansiou signed a one-year, $3M contract with Chicago last season. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2012.

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