Why the Chicago Blackhawks might end up regretting the Frank Nazar long-term extension

The Chicago Blackhawks entered the fray with a full commitment to Frank Nazar, one of their brightest youngsters. To fans, it was a signal of trust in their rebuilding efforts; critics, on the other hand, maintain that it might have been premature.

There's no doubt about Nazar's talent and upside, but his limited résumé can cast doubt upon that. Placements of a long-term contract for such a young player are laden with both hope and hazard, so it will do well to ponder how this risk could backfire.

Frank Nazar's limited NHL experience and unproven track record

Frank Nazar has only played 56 NHL games at the tender age of 21. He has shown flashes of brilliance, strong finishes in April, and starred in the World Championships; however, they remain just glimpses, never evidence of long-term consistency.

It is more akin to a shoe on a projection of the future than one placed on remuneration for past achievements. The chance that his numbers may plateau or that his development may slow down cannot be dismissed, and if that comes to pass, Chicago will be stuck with a contract that outweighs his production.

Timing of the deal raises questions about value

Then comes the window of opportunity in the value concern. Now, by putting Nazar under their wing, Chicago shelled out his restricted free agent years that would have given him more flexibility at less cost later in free agency.

Usually, those sorts of big-money commitments are reserved for an established player with several proven seasons or an unrestricted free agency status. Instead, the Blackhawks wedged themselves in with a guy whose ceiling remains unproven.On the other hand, while management would argue the move brings a degree of cost certainty, skeptics will point out that $6.59 million per annum is a tough hit for a forward still unproven.

If Nazar blossoms into a star, then certainly the deal will be considered genius; however, if he stalls, the Blackhawks may rue the day they actually paid him ahead of a larger sample size of NHL production.Also Read: Rick Tocchet’s blueprint to unlock Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras for the FlyersFrank Nazar has a team of tools with which to become a franchise cornerstone, but what the Blackhawks chose may be considered a poor gamble, given it was an investment of a large chunk of money on mere potential against perceived results. Should Nazar blossom fully into his potential, this will be remembered as one of the greatest contract deals in history. Whereas if he does not, the contract may go down as one of the few mistakes the Blackhawks made during their rebuilding process.