The Chicago Blackhawks signed prospect Chad Krys to an entry-level contract today. The deal is worth $925,000 annually and will run through the end of the 2021-2022 season. The Boston University defenseman will forego his senior season and report to the Rockford IceHogs on an amateur tryout agreement, according to The Athletic‘s Scott Powers.
Krys was selected in the second round of the 2016 draft by the Blackhawks, starting a trend of the organization drafting smaller defensemen with strong offensive upside. The ‘Hawks expected him to make the jump from the NCAA to the NHL last season but instead allowed him to stay with the Terriers for an extra season to work on his development.