Artem Anisimov and the Blackhawks are close to agreeing to a contract extension, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Anisimov and the Blackhawks are close to agreeing to a contract extension, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis:

After the Blackhawks weren't able to come to terms on a new deal with restricted free agent Brandon Saad, the team shipped him to Columbus earlier Tuesday, with Anisimov representing one of the five pieces the team received in return. While Anisimov won't be expected to fill the offensive void created by Saad's departure, he should provide a decent impersonation of Antoine Vermette, an unrestricted free agent whom the Stanley Cup champs weren't expected to retain. Look for Anisimov to center the Blackhawks' third line this season and offer solid contributions in most phases of the game, though nothing that will likely result in him becoming a high-end fantasy commodity.