Chicago stay Sharp in contract negotiations
On Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago, the Blackhawk’s GM Stan Bowman announced that Patrick Sharp will be staying in Illinois for at least another five years.
Much speculation surrounded the 29-year-old Canadian as he had just completed the last year of his contract and with many other teams showing interest in Sharp, Chicago were desperate to keep hold of him in their quest to regain the Stanley cup in the 2011-12 season. When the media asked Bowman the question “Is Patrick Sharp available in a trade?” he replied “No, we’re not trading him”. The Hawks obviously see Sharp in their long-term plans as the deal is for five more years with a pay rise included.
Sharp, who scored 71 points last year, signed the new contract which is worth an expected $5.9 million a year, approximately $2 million more than his last contract, and Stan Bowman expresses how he feels he is worth every penny, expressing his abilities off the ice as well as on it. Bowman said “There are too many factors outside of just what we see from his play on the ice” and “There’s a lot of other things that (reporters and fans) don’t see. He’s a very important player for our group here and for that reason he’s going to be here for a long time.”
The Hawks’ assistant captain and centre man had arguably the best season in his 9 year NHL career as he recorded 34 goals which was good enough to rank eighth in the NHL, and the highest in the Chicago roster. On top of that, Sharp recorded three goals and two assists in Chicago’s 4-3 loss in a thrilling first round playoff series against eventual finalists the Vancouver Canucks.
With the Hawks re-signing the all-star MVP Sharp and Canadian defenseman Brent Seabrook, along with the usual services of Duncan Keith, Jonathon Toews and Marian Hossa, they will feel that they can have a good crack at winning the title next season just as they did in 2010. Chicago have also given a contract to netminder Corey Crawford, who played 52 games last year and notched up a save percentage of .917.
With the youngster Crawford seen as the Hawks’ number one, they also have experienced goaltender Marty Turco as backup with 538 NHL games behind him. Chicago can now feel settled with their goalkeeping which is something they have perhaps struggled to do in previous years. Exciting times are ahead for the Blackhawks and the fans can’t wait until the season comes around in September!
