Winning a Stanley Cup in the NHL is a great and wonderful time as we’ve been able to experience with the Chicago Blackhawks most recently in 2015, but part of the the fallout from that is star players exit the team under salary cap pressure and the lure of other teams, it’s just natural. Defensive juggernaut Johnny Oduya was one of the stars to leave the Hawks in 2015, heading to the Dallas Stars but today general manager Stan Bowman made the moves to get the Swedish pro back in red and black. Bowman traded for Oduya with minor league forward Mark McNeill and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Oduya is being looked at as an addition to kill penalties for the Hawks, which has been a weak point at various points in this season. The Blackhawks are still one of the hottest teams in the NHL, and gearing up for another run at Lord Stanley’s Cup. Plus the Hawks did not really lose much comparably to get Oduya back on the roster, so it’s a masterful move by Bowman and the Hawks.

Heeeeere's Johnny!

The #Blackhawks acquire D-man Johnny Oduya in exchange for Mark McNeill and a 2018 draft pick: https://t.co/BrlaPeNgly pic.twitter.com/rJ7zVjQiFM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 1, 2017