Chicago Blackhawks' Contract Rumor Updates

Some details about the proposed contract extensions for three young Chicago Blackhawks are coming into view.

A number of web sites are reporting that Duncan Keith will sign a deal that, as ESPN’s Jesse Rogers said, “will keep [Keith] in Chicago for the rest of his career.” A number of sources, including TSN’s Bob McKenzie, have rumored that Keith’s offer from the Blackhawks is a 13-year deal with a cap number between $5.5 and $5.75 million per season.

McKenzie, again one of a number of sources, is also reporting that Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane , who share an agent, will sign similar deals. The rumor there is that the two young stars will receive five-year extensions with cap numbers between $6 and $6.5 million per season,

As McKenzie writes, these numbers would put the Hawks’ signed roster for 2010-11 at $61 million, which is nearly $5 million over this season salary cap. Rumors are that the NHL will lower it’s salary cap in 2010-11, meaning the Hawks will need to shed salary off their existing roster to make it under next year’s cap.

Players the Hawks have under contract for next year would be Keith, Toews, Kane, Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Troy Brouwer, Tomas Kopecky, Marian Hossa, Dave Bolland, Dustin Byfuglien, Cristobal Huet, Brent Seabrook, Brent Sopel, Brian Campbell, and Cam Barker.

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