When the Blackhawks re-acquired Johnny Oduya last February, they knew exactly what they were getting in him: A top-four defenseman who can log heavy minutes, contribute on both ends of the ice, and is defensively responsible.
He was an integral part of Chicago's blue line during its championship runs in 2013 and 2015, anchoring the second pairing with Niklas Hjalmarsson.
After a year and a half apart, the two were reunited on the same unit Thursday and it felt like old times again.
Oduya fit it in rather seamlessly despite missing the first two games since the acquisition in an effort to get his conditional level back to 100 percent, and instantly stabilized one of the deepest defensive groups the Blackhawks have had in years.