Blackhawks Season Preview: Nick Leddy

When looking around the roster for the Chicago Blackhawks, there might not be one player that is expected to elevate his game this season than 20-year-old defenseman Nick Leddy. Leddy was acquired from Minnesota during the 2009-10 season, along with Kim Johnsson, in exchange for Cam Barker. Even before the Wild let Barker loose this summer, the trade already proved to be a steal for Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks. After Brian Campbell sustained a leg injury during the preseason, knocking him out for a month, Leddy was a standout in camp as the Hawks looked to replace him. Though he had a bit of a rough first outing, Leddy improved steadily in the time he was up with the team last season. He spent much of the winter shuffling between Rockford and Chicago, before eventually heading to the Windy City on a permanent basis, once the club let go of Nick Boynton. Leddy’s stats last year weren’t overwhelming, with just seven points (3 G, 4 A), but his improvement was. Though he ...