Chicago Blackhawks sign Wyatt Kaiser to entry-level contract

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed 2020 third-round pick Wyatt Kaiser to an entry-level contract, the club announced Tuesday evening.

Kaiser will immediately report to the Blackhawks, burning a year of his three-year contract in the process. His entry-level deal extends through the end of the 2024–25 season, at which point he’ll be eligible to become a restricted free agent.

The Blackhawks originally selected Kaiser with the 81st overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. The six-foot defenseman, who shoots left, spent the three seasons immediately following his draft year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, recording seven goals and 52 points in 97 games with the Bulldogs.

Kaiser represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, collecting three points (two goals, one assist) in five games as Team USA finished in fifth place.

As a junior with the Bulldogs in the 2022–23 season, Kaiser finished fourth in team scoring with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 35 games. Minnesota-Duluth wrapped up its men’s hockey season on Mar. 12 with a 3–1 loss to the St. Cloud State Huskies in the NCHC quarterfinals.

Kaiser will join a Chicago team that currently ranks eighth (and last) in the NHL’s Central Division with a 23–38–6 record and 52 points in 67 games. He’ll compete for minutes on the blue line with the likes of Seth Jones, Caleb Jones, Connor Murphy, Ian Mitchell, Andreas Englund, and Nikita Zaitsev.

After a surprising 6–3 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Blackhawks will return to action at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday evening to take on the Nashville Predators at 8:00 p.m. ET.