For a few days, there was a question about whether the Blackhawks would sign or trade Jason Dickinson as a result of his career year.
That question didn’t linger long. The Hawks reacted quickly to Nick Foligno’s lobbying for Dickinson to be extended by doing just that Tuesday, signing the versatile 28-year-old forward to his own two-year contract extension with a $4.25 million salary-cap hit.
“Jason adds a unique two-way game to our lineup and his compete level is consistently strong every night,” said general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “We’re excited to bring him back and to see him continue to grow with our team.”
Dickinson has given the Hawks some much-needed productivity and stability on both ends of the ice this season, but his strong play had also raised his trade value significantly as a pending unrestricted free agent. Davidson said Saturday that people around the NHL had indeed “taken notice.”
Just 16 months ago, the Hawks essentially received a second-round pick from the Canucks just for absorbing Dickinson’s contract with its $2.65 million salary-cap hit (plus Riley Stillman).
This winter, the Hawks could conceivably have gotten a second-round pick for Dickinson, which would have tidily tied up another bit of clever asset management by Davidson — in the same bucket as Sam Lafferty, whom Davidson used to translate Alex Nylander into a second-round pick over the span of 13 months.
Ultimately, though, the Hawks decided Dickinson had more value to them as a piece of their lineup moving forward than as a piece of trade bait — and they were probably correct in that assessment.
He’s on pace for 27 goals this season, and although that exact scoring pace might be unsustainable, his shooting accuracy and scoring-chance generation has substantially improved.
He’s also an intelligent, friendly guy who fits well into a locker room and offers some insightful leadership. And he’s a proven defensive forward who has evolved into an arguably elite one this season, shutting down guys like Connor McDavid and Jason Robertson just within the last week.
“It’s a challenge — one I love,” Dickinson said Jan. 8 after facing McDavid. “I love when we get these games because I know it’s gonna be a fight and he’s going to give me everything, and he knows that I’m going to be on top of him the whole game.”
It was telling that Foligno, hours after getting his own two-year contract extension, publicly lobbied Saturday for Dickinson to also receive an extension.
“[He’s] a guy that I want to go to war with a lot more — and hopefully will be able to,” Foligno said. “[I’ve seen] the way he plays the game and what he’s meant to our club, the stability he’s provided [through] all the injuries.
“He’s still out there eating a ton of hard minutes, playing against teams’ best. I’ve just been really impressed with him. He’s a guy that I’ve gravitated to a lot already to start the year, and he has delivered in every aspect.”
This story will be updated.