TRADE: Blackhawks Acquire D Johnny Oduya from Dallas Stars

CHICAGO, IL -- JOHNNY'S BACK.

Sorry for the caps. I'm so excited to see him back. And, after the recent struggles in our defense, he'll slot right in.

In case the all-caps intro didn't allude you to this, Johnny Oduya has been with the Hawks. In fact, the Hawks traded him along with Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns down to Dallas in the summer of 2015, right after winning the cup. Another cap era casualty.

But, seeing as the Stars are apparently willing to trade away anyone for anything, the Hawks get another shot with Oduya. And I'm excited.

Oduya is one of those quiet-but-deadly types. He doesn't really make a lot of waves at the surface, but oh, man, is he someone you want.

And, since he's been here before, he'll likely fall right back into place.

He's only got seven points (1-6--7) on the season, but that's also partially due to the conditions in Dallas. I don't know what went haywire down there this season, but no one seemed to be producing like they did last year. Oduya had 21 points in 82 games last season (4-17--21), and I don't think it would be a stretch to say he'll notch quite a few points with the Hawks in the remainder of the season. That was a career year for him, and though his points weren't that impressive, his defensive presence will be vital to the Hawks' lineup.

All in all, I'm excited to see what he brings to Chicago. Can they make a run at the Cup this season? Maybe. They're definitely getting closer.

In other, semi-unrelated news, the Blackhawks signed both Michal Rozsival and Jordin Tootoo to one year contracts, which probably has people shaking their heads or wondering why. By signing those two, they become Vegas draft eligible, meaning the Hawks can save Ryan Hartman instead. And believe me, we want to save Hartman.

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