Earlier today, the Chicago Blackhawks traded wingers Kris Versteeg, Joakim Nordstrom, and a 2017 3rd round draft pick for two defense prospects and a 2017 5th round draft pick. The move was a salary dump to make enough salary cap room to resign restricted free agent forward Marcus Kruger. About an hour after the trade happened, the Blackhawks did exactly that, resigning Kruger to a one year contract.

These moves are possibly the last in an eventful summer for the Blackhawks. Within the past two and a half months, the Blackhawks have parted ways with Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya, Brad Richards, Antione Vermette, Kris Versteeg, Joakim Nordstrom, Antti Raanta, Kimo Timonen, Michael Rozival, and Kyle Cumisky in trades or free agency. All of those players had a role on last years Stanley Cup Championship team. The Blackhawks also parted ways with highly ranked defense prospects Stephen Johns and Michael Paliotta in trades. Not only that, the playing status of one of their most important players, superstar winger Patrick Kane, is uncertain do to a sexual assault investigation he is apart of.

With training camp starting in exactly one week, the Blackhawks are faced with a lot of uncertainty. In the trades that got rid of Saad and Sharp, the Hawks acquired players Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp, Ryan Garbutt, and Trevor Daily. The success of the Hawks’ Stanley Cup defense will depend on how those players develop and fit into their new roles on the Hawks roster.