The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Teuvo Teravainen to a three-year contract worth $5.4 million annually, as per PuckPedia.
Profiling Teuvo Teravainen
Teravainen, 29, has spent the last eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he has enjoyed four 20+ goal seasons and a stat line of 138 goals and 415 total points in 555 games. Prior to that, he spent three years with the Blackhawks, where he put together 17 goals and 44 points in 115 games.
Related: THW’s 2024 Free Agency Tracker
Teravainen has eclipsed the 60-point threshold in three separate seasons and has been an apt defensive player to boot. He’s been a staple on the Hurricanes’ top penalty-kill unit for many seasons and a stalwart at preventing chances at 5v5 as well. In 2023-24, he put up 25 goals and 53 total points in 76 games. In 11 playoff games, “Turbo” potted two goals and six total points.
The Helsinki, Finland, native has enjoyed a career chock-full of favorable advanced analytics. His expected goal share (xGF%) has been above 50% in every season since 2014-15, with Teravainen having most recently posted a career-high xGF% of 56.56%. Among top-six forwards on the Hurricanes, he was second in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) to Seth Jarvis, highlighting his dominant defensive game as well.
Blackhawks Bolster Top-Six
After Connor Bedard, there wasn’t a whole lot to enjoy about the Blackhawks’ top-six. Now, with the additions of Tyler Bertuzzi and Teravainen, they’re a much more threatening team. Though it still won’t move the needle in terms of playoff chances, pairing Bedard with two apt wingers will be crucial in developing him into the generational superstar he should turn out to be. At just a three-year deal, the Blackhawks will be able to turn away from keeping him long-term if Teravainen begins to decline when Chicago begins to enter its contention window.
