Chicago Blackhawks

Johnny Oduya Returns to Blackhawks in Trade

One of the key defensive pieces for two of the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup wins is coming back to the Windy City.

That player is Johnny Oduya, who was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars. ESPN's Pierre LeBrun initially reported that the deal was done, and the Stars and Blackhawks confirmed the deal on their Twitter feeds a short-time later.

Former Blackhawks first round pick Mark McNeill is heading back to Dallas as part of the trade, as well as a conditional fourth round draft pick. The pick can become a third round pick, according to reports.

Oduya will be a free agent at the end of the regular season, and according to reports, the Stars will retain half of his salary for the remainder of the season to make the trade work.

As part of the trade, the Blackhawks have placed Niklas Hjalmarsson on injured reserve as he continues to deal with an upper-body injury. Hjalmarsson, who left Thursday's game against the Coyotes early, has already missed one game and is going to miss at least three more, according to head coach Joel Quenneville.

Stay tuned to NBC Chicago for more on this story as it develops.

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