Hawks Reach Deals With Smith, Raanta

By Rob Winn in News on Jun 27, 2014 7:40PM

Ben Smith (left) and Antti Raanta will stay in Black and Red for a while.

Prior to the start of the NHL Draft, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman came to terms with forward Ben Smith and goalie Antti Raanta. Each are now signed through the 2015-16 season.

Smith played primarily on the fourth line and tallied 14 goals and 12 assists during the regular season. He was an effective player for coach Joel Quenneville, especially in the playoffs. Raanta was used as the primary back-up goalie for Corey Crawford after Nikolai Khabibulin went down with a season-ending injury. He compiled 13-5-4 record with an .897 save percentage.

Now Bowman will turn his attention to the draft and trades as rumors swirl around the Hawks. He also has extensions for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on his mind. Both players are starting the negotiations by asking for $12 million each per year. That number will come down, but both are cornerstones of the franchise and will receive big raises as the salary cap goes up for the 2014-15 season.

Update: Forward Jeremy Morin was signed to a two-year contract Friday, as well. Ryan Kesler, who had been rumored to be on the Hawks radar, was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for two players and a draft pick.