Last Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks gave a two-year contract extension to veteran forward Nick Foligno. While he met with the media on Saturday morning, Foligno lobbied that Jason Dickinson be the next player to get new paper. Dickinson hinted that talks were going on after Monday’s practice, and the team made a new deal official on Tuesday. His new contract will keep him signed through the end of the 2025-26 season and comes with a $4.25 cap hit for each of the next two seasons.

“Jason adds a unique two-way game to our lineup and his compete level is consistently strong every night,” General Manager Kyle Davidson said in an official statement. “He’s showing his offensive game this year, which has been a huge lift to our team. His leadership has been instrumental, and the impact has been evident around the room, particularly with our young guys. We’re excited to bring him back and to see him continue to grow with our team.”

Dickinson, 28, has flourished in an expanded role in Chicago after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks just before the start of last season. He has already set a new career-high with 14 goals in 43 games and is one of the leaders in this young locker room. He has fully bought into Davidson’s plan.  

“I see something here,” Dickinson said this morning. “I’m not going to lie. I would have liked a couple more years because I see what’s down the line. I see the potential. I see where things can go, and I’d love to be a part of that. I’m a building block right now as we move forward. Who knows? In a couple of years, we could be talking about another extension.”

Speaking of Davidson’s plan, it is crystal clear if you haven’t figured out what is going on here. He wants to build the next Blackhawks dynasty from within. Do not expect him to go out and make any significant trades at the deadline or target any huge free agents this summer. To have guys like Foligno and Dickinson, who could easily seek a trade to a Stanley Cup contender, buy in this early is an impressive turn of events.