This former Blackhawks forward just got a big payday.
Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Schmaltz was one of the top pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) for this upcoming off-season. However, he officially will not be hitting the market.
The Utah Mammoth have signed Schmaltz to a big eight-year, $64 million contract extension. Starting next season, Schmaltz will have an $8 million cap hit with the Mammoth.
Seeing Schmaltz land such a big payday is understandable. The 30-year-old forward is an incredibly important part of the Mammoth's roster and is in the middle of a strong season. In 65 games this season with Utah, he has recorded 24 goals, 35 assists, 59 points, and a plus-21 rating. This is after he had back-to-back seasons with over 60 points.
Schmaltz kicked off his NHL career with the Blackhawks, as the Central Division club selected him with the 20th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In 162 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2016-17 to 2018-19, he had 29 goals, 62 assists, 91 points, and a plus-7 rating.