Former Leaf signs 1-year extension with surprising team
A day after acquiring his negotiating rights from the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have signed veteran forward and former Leaf Nick Foligno to a one-year deal worth a staggering $4 million.
The Bruins, in an attempt to alleviate cap space to sign Tyler Bertuzzi, traded Taylor Hall and Foligno to the Blackhawks for the rights to RFAs Alex Regula and Ian Mitchell.
The 16-year veteran will be suiting up for his 5th team and 4th since 2020-21. To date, Foligno has racked up 215 goals and 525 points in 1,081 games with the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins.
After notching 334 points in 599 games with the Blue Jackets, he was traded to the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2021 trade deadline for a package that included a first round pick.
Foligno only played in 7 regular season games and 4 in the post-season for the Leafs, as he dealt with a myriad of injuries. He signed as a free agent with Boston the following season and is coming of a 26-point campaign in 60 games.
The $4 million AAV is rather rich for a player like Foligno at this stage in his career, but the rebuilding Blackhawks need to reach the cap floor and need to fill out roster spots for the season. Signing a veteran like Foligno will do wonders in the leadership department for a very young team.
The Hawks still have $27.594 million in projected cap space, 2 first round picks, including the first overall selection, 4 second round picks, and 2 in the third - and that's just for this upcoming draft as they carry 2 firsts and 2 seconds in 2024 and 2025.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 27 | 332 ANSWERS Former Leaf signs 1-year extension with surprising team What do you think about Nick Foligno's $4M cap hit in 2023-24? | ||
| Too high | 219 | 66 % |
| Just right | 32 | 9.6 % |
| He could have gotten more on the open market | 11 | 3.3 % |
| Don't care | 70 | 21.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
