The first domino of the Blackhawks’ offseason has fallen. Defenseman Alex Vlasic has agreed to a six-year, $27.6 million deal. The contract carries a cap hit of $4.6 million per year.

“Alex made enormous strides this year and proved he is a legitimate top-four defenseman in the NHL,” said Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “In his first full season in the NHL, Alex established himself as an important piece of our young core, and we’re excited to have him with us for the next six years.”

In just 97 career NHL games, Vlasic has emerged as one of the NHL’s premiere shut-down defensemen.

This is a tremendous value deal for Vlasic, who should be a fixture in the Blackhawks’ top two pairings for the next six seasons. As Davidson prepares for an offseason during which he plans to improve the roster, having certainty about Vlasic’s deal should help him map his free agency and trade plans more easily.

The invaluable website PuckPedia.com shared the specific details of Vlasic’s deal. It’s interesting to note that in years five and six of the deal, Vlasic has a 10-team no-trade list.

Vlasic, along with his defense partner Seth Jones, will represent Team USA in the upcoming World Championships in May. “I’m happy that he can keep growing his game on the world stage,” Jones said of Vlasic’s opportunity. “I would like to keep building chemistry with him. Toward the end of the season, we knew exactly where we were on the ice, whether offensively or defensively. Just to continue to get better and grow together was a big thing for us.”

Jones and Vlasic will have that opportunity for (at least) six more years.