An Illinois native who turned pro with his hometown club, the player showed promising development in his NHL career, leading to the Chicago Blackhawks signing him to a long-term deal, reflecting the team’s trend of securing young defenders early, similar to recent moves by other NHL teams.
The kid from Illinois made the leap. After his junior season, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with his hometown club in March 2022. It was a big deal, starting right away.
In his first stretch, he played 15 games for the Hawks. Managed to snag his first two NHL points—a goal and an assist. Not too shabby, right? But, there’s always a but, he had a -2 rating and averaged about 14:19 on the ice per game.
His stats? Pretty decent, especially considering the team’s struggles. They only won twice in regulation in the 20 games after he signed on. His possession metrics were solid, with a 44.0 CF% and 54.9 xGF% at even strength. That’s according to Hockey Reference, by the way.
But here’s the kicker. It wasn’t enough. He didn’t secure a full-time spot on the 2022-23 roster, playing in just six games last year. Despite this, he led all AHL Rockford defensemen with a +12 rating and racked up 19 points in 56 games.
Fast forward to this season, and he’s not looking back. With Seth Jones out injured, Vlasic stepped up big time. He finished the season right behind Jones in average time on ice, clocking in at 21:29. Not too shabby for his first full NHL season, right?
He scored two goals and added 14 assists for a total of 16 points in 76 games. And his ratings? A very respectable -4, with a 44.9 CF% and 47.7 xGF%. All while facing some of the toughest matchups in the league.
Vlasic might not be the guy you look to for points, but he’s showing signs of being a top-notch, top-four defender. And guess what? There haven’t been any major hiccups since he was drafted. Even the pandemic didn’t throw him off course. Seems like he’s hitting his stride sooner than most.
Now, onto the business side of things. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson is making moves, signing Vlasic long-term early on. It’s a trend we’re seeing more of, with guys like Owen Power and Jake Sanderson getting similar deals after their first full NHL seasons.
Vlasic was on the brink of restricted free agency this summer. But now? He’s locked in with a deal that’s pretty much a carbon copy of Mattias Samuelsson’s with Buffalo. Seven years, $30M. Not bad, right?
He and Jones are now the backbone of the Blackhawks’ defense, both signed through the 2029-30 season. Before this, it was just Jones and Connor Murphy on one-way contracts for next season. Looks like Vlasic and Jones are set to lead the charge as Chicago’s top defensive duo in the 2024-25 season. Quite the journey for the Illinois native, wouldn’t you say?
