With goalie Corey Crawford having a new three-year, $8 million deal in hand, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said one of his objectives was to bring goalie prospect Alexander Salak in from Europe.
"We're working on that," Bowman said of Salak's status Thursday after the team announced it had signed Crawford. "Alex is going to be a guy who is going to be in North America next year. We're still working those things."
Apparently, he's done.
A source said the Hawks signed Salak to a two-year, one-way deal. He will earn $600,000 a season. As of Friday, the team is yet to officially announce the signing. ESPN was the first to report Salak's signing.
"[Salak has] got a very bright future," Bowman said Thursday.
Veteran goalie Marty Turco, a free agent, wasn't expected to remain in the fold next season with the Hawks. And Bowman didn't exactly make it sound like Turco was coming back when asked about him Thursday.
"As the year went on, he wasn't playing as much," Bowman said. "He was still a great Blackhawk. I think he proved to be a good mentor for Corey. We appreciate everything he did this year in a difficult circumstance for him and he handled it like a pro."
Salak's one-way deal -- which means his salary remains the same whether he's in the NHL or sent to American Hockey League -- shows the Hawks believe he's capable of at least backing up Crawford.
Salak, 24, was acquired in the Michael Frolik deal with the Florida Panthers in February. He had a strong year in the Swedish Elite League in 2010-11, appearing in 32 games and recording seven shutouts, a 1.97 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. He appeared in two games with the Panthers in 2009-10.
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