The writing was on the wall for Andrew Ladd.
The captain of the Winnipeg Jets was traded Thursday in a deal that sent him back to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team with which he won the Stanley Cup in 2010.
Ladd said Thursday he had a feeling this was coming.
“I think after [Dustin Byfuglien’s] signing and we talked to [Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff], that’s kind of when I got the sense that [re-signing] probably wasn’t going to happen,” Ladd told reporters Thursday. “And then you obviously start thinking and hoping that if it is going to happen, you’re going to go to a place that has a chance to win.
“Chicago was at the top of my list and I’m excited to have the opportunity to…win the Stanley Cup again.”
Ladd played parts of three seasons with the Blackhawks, winning the Cup in 2010. He also won the Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He has 454 points in 750 career games.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews was asked about the trade after his Blackhawks lost to the Nashville Predators Thursday.
“He’s done a great job for his team in Winnipeg. You can see, under those circumstances, what kind of player he is,” Toews told reporters. “He brings it every year and every night so we’re looking forward to having him back here.
“It’s amazing what our management’s been able to do, especially in light of what happened last summer [losing Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya]. Here we are picking up what looks like a key piece to our team. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
“We’re thrilled to have Andrew back,” said Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman to reporters. “We’ve been working on this for several weeks now.”
