The Chicago Blackhawks are closing in on a three year deal with RW Kris Versteeg worth more than $9 million. The deal is similar to the one that Cam Barker signed with Chicago earlier this week.

Chicago had been accused of mis-filing their paperwork and qualifying offers to their restricted free agents. The NHLPA was starting to file a grievance which could have made those players, Barker, Versteg, among others unrestricted free agents.

The new contracts signed by Barker and Versteeg eliminates that.

This eliminates as it says the idea of bringing Versteeg in as another young scoring winger and also shows that Chicago definitely paid more with their screw up then they would have been forced without it, but also in the end amounts to no significant harm because they didnt lose any of their main pieces that might have been in jeopardy.

Time for Sather to get on with negotiating the long term deals with Dubi and Cally both of whom i believe can get deals of 4-5 years at 2-2.5 million a year.