The Blackhawks and Lightning have gotten together on a trade involving a pair of depth defensemen looking for a fresh start, with Jan Rutta heading to Tampa Bay and Slater Koekkoek is coming to Chicago. The Blackhawks also acquired a fifth-round selection in 2019 and are sending their seventh-rounder to the Lightning.
In an effort to give their younger defenseman in the organization a look, Rutta was squeezed out of the Blackhawks lineup in December and it was hard to see a path where he'd be back with the big club. The trade gives him an opportunity to latch on elsewhere and the Stanley Cup favorite Lightning insurance on the back end for their stretch run and playoffs.