After losing a pair of its defenseman last week to a trade (Niklas Hjalmarsson) and the expansion draft (Trevor van Riemsdyk), the Chicago Blackhawks continued restocking their D corps by bringing back defenseman Ville Pokka on a one-year deal, according to this tweet from Chicago Tribune reporter Christopher Hine.
The Athletic’s Scott Powers reported last week that the Hawks had started talking to Pokka on a new contract after his entry-level deal expired following the 2016-17 season.
The upcoming training camp could be the most important time of Pokka’s career, after he spent the last two seasons playing in the AHL for the Rockford Ice Hogs.