Blackhawks Star Rookie Pius Suter Signs With The Detroit Red Wings

Stevie Y is at it again! After the Blackhawks declined to qualify their breakout rookie Pius Suter this week, the young centreman has inked a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings at $3.25 million AAV. For that money, it's hard to see why Chicago was so worried about signing him, but with the contracts they've brought in this summer, maybe their salary cap couldn't handle the rookie's latest contract.

Suter is a 25-year old native of Zurich, Switzerland who went undrafted and was signed by Chicago out of the Swiss-A league, after a season that saw him score 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games. Suter signed a 1-year, $1.775 million contract with the Hawks last summer, and went on to score 14 goals and 27 points in 55 games in his first NHL season. However, due to his age, Suter was eligible for arbitration this summer, and the Blackhawks were likely concerned with the potential for Suter to demand more salary than they were willing to pay, given their big plans for the offseason. Detroit was more than happy to oblige.

At 25, Suter still has plenty of room to grow into his NHL game. After a promising rookie season, Detroit may be expecting Suter to take the next step in his play, but even if he stays at this level, he will be a solid third-line centre for the Wings going forward.

What do you think about the Red Wings pulling a promising rookie out of Chicago?

Photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports