Frank Nazar's overtime heroics explain why Chicago Blackhawks bet $46 million on this NHL rising star

Frank Nazar came through in the clutch as he scored an incredible power-play goal with only 2:24 remaining in overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Monday night.

The electrifying goal not only snapped the Chicago Blackhawks’ three-game skid but also highlighted the team's decision to heavily bet on the NHL's up-and-coming star.Frank Nazar's financial backing reflects the fact that the Blackhawks believe in Nazar’s ability to be a cornerstone in the team, alongside the likes of young superstar Connor Bedard, who is known for his speed and playmaking ability.

Frank Nazar’s $46 million contract and game power-play shows his growing NHL value

In August 2025, the Chicago Blackhawks signed Frank Nazar, who was picked in the first round, to a seven-year, $46.13 million contract extension with an average annual salary of $6.59 million.

This contract, which begins in the 2026-27 season, is proof of Nazar’s growing value and is a big step in his NHL career, significantly boosting his net worth.The Blackhawks believe in Nazar’s ability to be a cornerstone in the organization, alongside the likes of young superstar Connor Bedard, who is known for his speed and playmaking ability and is already being hailed as a young forward who can drive the offense and come up big in clutch situations, much like he did once again with his overtime goal on Monday.

There were a few more significant plays in Chicago’s win. Andrew Mangiapane scored his first goal as a member of the Blackhawks since coming over in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers last week. This gave the home team an early boost in the contest. Later in the second period, Andre Burakovsky scored one of the goals of the evening with a stick lacrosse-style move, flicking the puck into the net to tie the score at 2-2. This broke a scoring drought for Burakovsky of 19 games since January 7.Utah scored many of its goals throughout the game as it tried to come back against the home team. Barrett Hayton and Dylan Guenther scored for the visitors. Guenther continued his great season with his first 30 goals of his career and now leads the team in scoring. The Mammoth came into the contest with a three-game winning streak in a five-game road trip, and Vitek Vanecek stopped 23 shots in the loss. For Nazar, the game-winning goal is just another addition to his already expanding résumé. The 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has accumulated 26 points in his first season as a rookie and has continued to impress the team’s management with his scoring ability.As the young forward’s career is on the rise, his contract and in-game performance are steadily increasing his profile and net worth in the NHL.