Chicago Blackhawks, defenseman Kempny agree to new deal

The Blackhawks signed defenseman Michal Kempny to a one-year, $900,000 contract extension late Friday night.

The 26-year-old Kempny appeared in 50 games last season, recording 2 goals and 6 assists. His playing time fell off drastically, however, after the Hawks traded for Johnny Oduya at the deadline. Kempny, who was a restricted free agent, appeared in just four of the final 17 games in the regular season, and one of the four playoff games against Nashville.

"Michal's style of play is an asset to our defense," said general manager Stan Bowman in a statement. "He is the type of player who will continue to improve now that he has transitioned to the National Hockey League. We look forward to his continued development."

Kempny was mostly paired with Brent Seabrook last season and produced the team's best Corsi rating (56.3) among defensemen.

The signing adds depth to a D-corps that now has Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Gustav Forsling and Michal Rozsival under contract. The Rockford IceHogs have defensemen Luc Snuggerud, Carl Dahlstrom, Viktor Svedberg and Robin Norrell under contract. Erik Gustafsson is a restricted free agent.