Blackhawks Sign Evan Barratt, Andrei Altybarmakyan To Entry-Level Contracts

The two 2017 third-round picks are both just 21 years old.

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Thursday afternoon that they have agreed to terms with forwards Evan Barratt and Andrei Altybarmakyan on entry-level contracts. Barratt's deal is for three years with an AAV of $870,000, while Altybarmakyan's is for two years worth $817,500 per season.

Evan Barratt

Barratt, the 90th overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft, recently finished his junior year at Penn State University. The Bristol, Pennsylvania native shared the team lead with 12 goals and was second in points with 34 in 34 games.

In three seasons with Penn State, Barratt's recorded 39 goals and 56 assists for 95 points in 98 games. As a sophomore last year, Barratt tallied 43 points (16G, 27A) for the third-highest point total in program history and was named First-Team All-Big Ten.

Back in 2017, Barratt had one goal and five assists in seven games to help Team USA win a gold medal at the U-18 World Junior Championship. At the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, the left-handed forward scored one goal in seven games en route to a silver medal.

Andrei Altybarmakyan

As for Altybarmakyan, the 70th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft spent the majority of the last two seasons with HK Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League. In 49 games with HK Sochi this season, Altybarmakyan tallied six goals, 11 assists, and 17 points, which are all KHL career-highs.

Last season, Altybarmakyan spent time with HK Sochi, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg of the VHL, and also SKA-1946 St. Petersburg of the MHL. In 52 combined games between the three teams, Altybarmakyan recorded seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. The 5-foot-11, 192-pound winger added two goals and an assist in five playoff games for HK Sochi.

Internationally, Altybarmakyan had one goal and two assists for Team Russia at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.

For more Blackhawks news and updates, follow the author (@JackBushman2) on Twitter. Make sure to check out the author's podcast, Talkin' Hawkey, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Twitter (@TalkinHawkey).