Blackhawks, Adam Gajan Agree To Entry-Level Deal
The Blackhawks and goalie prospect Adam Gajan have agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract, according to a press release from the team on Wednesday. The contract will take effect with the 2026-27 campaign and carry a cap hit of $1.05MM. Per PuckPedia, the breakdown is as follows:
| Year | NHL salary | Signing bonus | Potential performance bonuses | Minors salary |
| 2026-27 | $922.5K | $102.5K | $500K – Schedule ‘A’ | $82.5K |
| 2027-28 | $967.5K | $107.5K | $500K – Schedule ‘A’ | $82.5K |
Gajan, 21, makes the jump to the pros after wrapping up his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a regional final loss to Michigan in the national tournament last weekend. The native of Poprad, Slovakia, was the first goalie off the board in the 2023 draft at 35th overall, ahead of some more blue-chip names like Trey Augustine and Jacob Fowler.
The road to this point for Gajan has been rocky since his draft day, but he appeared to find another gear this season. The 6’3″ netminder has been a standout for Slovakia’s junior teams on the international stage but earned a more unimpressive resume in league play, including just a .893 SV% with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in his post-draft year.
Things stayed rocky for Gajan as he made the jump to college. He was technically the Bulldogs’ starter as a freshman, but that was more to do with a lack of other options than with him seizing the crease. He finished his first year in Duluth with a 7-12-1 record in 21 outings, accompanied by a .885 SV%, 3.33 GAA, and one shutout.
But as Duluth’s offense found a new level this season, so did Gajan between the pipes. He finished his sophomore year with a .908 SV%, 2.25 GAA, and a 19-13-1 record in 33 games as the Bulldogs earned their first national tournament berth since 2022.
Gajan was Slovakia’s starter at the 2023 and 2024 World Juniors, earning Best Goaltender honors in the former and posting a .927 SV% in eight games across both years. He’s yet to play for the senior team, but was the country’s third goalie at this year’s Winter Olympics and should get a shot to land a few starts for them at next month’s World Championship.
Gajan is expected to join AHL Rockford on an amateur tryout in the coming days, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports. That will allow him to get his pro debut in before attending Chicago’s training camp in the fall.