Blackhawks’ Dickinson enjoying career season, rewarded with two-year contract extension
There are certain expectations for any forward selected in the first round of the NHL draft.
Most are expected to score at a fairly serious clip for the duration of their careers. We're talking 20, 25, maybe even 30 goals a season.
It's a path forward Jason Dickinson — who inked a two-year, $8.5 million extension with the Blackhawks on Tuesday — believed was in his future when the Dallas Stars took him No. 29 overall in 2013.
“Oh, first-rounder,” Dickinson thought to himself a decade ago. “I'm gonna be a producer, the big guy. I'm going to keep developing and become this big, elite scorer.”
That belief only intensified after a 22-goal campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars in 2015-16.
But an injury, combined with almost no success at the NHL level, left Dickinson confused and frustrated.
“I'm scoring in the minors; not doing (squat) in the NHL,” Dickinson said. “So I was lost. I didn't know what my game was at that point. I was not sure what I needed to do to be in the NHL.”
This is where a young player is at such a crossroads, some never managing to carve out any sort of career. Dickinson badly needed a confidence boost, and it came during the 2017-18 AHL playoffs.
That's when Dickinson helped Texas reach the Calder Cup Finals by eliminating Ontario, Tucson and Rockford. He played a third-line role, matching up against talented forwards like Dylan Strome and IceHogs scoring machine Chris DiDomenico.
“It was after that playoff run where I was like, 'This is what I can be at the NHL level,'” Dickinson said.
That's exactly how Dickinson played the next three seasons in Dallas, notching a modest 22 goals in 183 games while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time. He was also a big part of the Stars' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, a series won by Tampa Bay in six games.
Dickinson continued playing his role in Vancouver in 2021-22 and last season for the Hawks after coming to Chicago in a trade.
But this year, we are seeing a completely different player, one who has already set a career high in goals (14) and is the odds-on favorite to replace the injured Connor Bedard in the NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto.
“The guys like to poke fun that it's gonna be me — third-line, shutdown center — who might be going as an all-star,” said Dickinson, whose previous high in goals was 9.
This surge in production is no fluke, though, with Dickinson working diligently on his shot last off-season.
“(It's) little things — changing the angles on goalies, changing the angles on defenders, getting feet to move certain ways,” he said. “All those things go into thinking about how I was approaching pucks, approaching the offensive zone in the summer. It's definitely helping and translating into to more success and opportunities.”
Dickinson added that in the past progress from these improvements would fade away during the season, but now he's stayed “on top of it to stay consistent.” He had just 2 goals in the first 16 games but recorded his first pro hat trick against Toronto on Nov. 24 and has added 8 more goals since.
“He’s showing his offensive game, which has been a huge lift to our team,” GM Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “His leadership has been instrumental, and the impact has been evident around the room, particularly with our young guys. We’re excited to bring him back and to see him continue to grow with our team.”
The signing of Dickinson means Davidson has just signed two well-respected veterans (the other being Nick Foligno) who should be around through the 2025-26 season. By that time, everyone hopes the victories are piling up and the Hawks are playoff contenders.
“I see something here,” Dickinson said. “I'm not gonna lie – I would have liked a few more years because I see the potential. I see where things could go and I would love to be a part of that.
“I'm a building block right now as we move forward. And who knows? In a couple years we could be talking another extension to really see things through.”
| Season, team | Games played | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 2015-16, Texas Stars | 73 | 22 | 31 | 53 |
| 2016-17, Texas Stars | 58 | 9 | 21 | 30 |
| 2016-17, Dallas Stars | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017-18, Texas Stars | 42 | 18 | 10 | 28 |
| 2017-18, Dallas Stars | 27 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018-19, Dallas Stars | 67 | 6 | 16 | 22 |
| 2019-20, Dallas Stars | 65 | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| 2020-21, Dallas Stars | 51 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 2021-22, Vanc. Canucks | 62 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 2022-23, HAWKS | 78 | 9 | 21 | 30 |
| 2023-24, HAWKS | 43 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| NHL totals | 404 | 53 | 72 | 125 |
Notes: Texas Stars are AHL affiliate of Dallas; 2019-21 seasons shortened by COVID.