The Chicago Blackhawks have moved quickly to ensure that their Stanley Cup-winning core remains intact. The club recently signed goalie Corey Crawford and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to extensions.
Crawford received a six-year deal from the team that will keep him in Chicago until 2019-20. Hjalmarsson got a five-year extension that will keep him with the Blackhawks until 2018-19. Reports indicate that Hjalmarsson's deal is worth $20 million.
"We believe [Crawford and Hjalmarsson] are part of the future here," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said, according to NHL.com. "They wanted to be in Chicago."
"We believe [Hjalmarsson's] best years ahead of him," Bowman said. "He's a heart-and-soul guy."
Regarding Crawford, Bowman added, "The reality is we need to have a top-notch goaltender for our organization and we've got one right in house here with Corey. We know him well. He's grown up with our organization and he's earned the ultimate with our group."
"I really like playing for Chicago," Hjalmarsson said in the same report. "I've been here my whole career overseas and it pretty much feels like home. To imagine playing for a different team is tough for me because I feel so much for the city and the team."
Hjalmarsson won his second cup with Chicago in 2012-13, but Crawford was experiencing his first Stanley Cup victory this spring. The netminder put together a 16-7 record and allowed an average of 1.84 goals against while stopping 93.2 percent of the shots he faced.
"It's just been getting better and better," Crawford said, according to USA Today. "I'm on a bit of a high right now and hopefully, I don't come down from it."
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