Blackhawks Sign Smith, Raanta To 2-Year Deals
(CBS) The Blackhawks have signed forward Ben Smith and backup goalie Antti Raanta to two-year deals, the team announced Friday morning.
Smith's contract paid an average annual salary of $1.5 million, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. Raanta's average was $750,000 per year, LeBrun reported.
The 25-year-old Smith was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, and keeping him was a priority. He had 14 goals and 12 assists in 75 games last season. Chicago's sixth-round draft pick in 2008, Smith also had a solid run in the playoffs, scoring four goals and recording two assists.
As Corey Crawford's backup, the 25-year-old Raanta was 13-5-4 with a 2.71 goals against averaged and .897 save percentage in 25 appearances last season. He was also set to become a restricted free agent.
