Defenseman Gustafsson returns to Hawks on a 1-year deal

The Chicago Blackhawks signed Erik Gustafsson to a one-year deal with an $800,000 salary-cap hit Monday, bringing back the defenseman for a second stint with the team.

The Hawks have a history of bringing players back, but Gustafsson admitted he wasn’t expecting it when he heard from Stan Bowman, the Hawks president of hockey operations and general manager, on Friday.

“Me and my wife (were) talking about it sometimes, but no,” Gustafsson said. “But I’m right here now and I’m very, very excited. Very happy to be here.”

Coach Jeremy Colliton said he didn’t know if Gustafsson will play in the season opener Wednesday.

“We know him well and I know him well,” Colliton said. “He’s comfortable and excited to be here and he also understands what he’s coming into. Nothing’s been promised as far as what exactly his role is going to be, but we do think he can help and it’s kind of up to him.”

Gustafsson had a monster offensive season in 2018-19 with 17 goals and 43 assists.

The secret?

“Played with Kaner,” he said with a laugh, referring to Hawks star Patrick Kane. “No, I think it’s confidence. I moved my feet a lot and played strong every play I played on the ice. I know I can do it again. I know I can (score) maybe not 60 points, but I know I can produce.”

Gustafsson last played for the Hawks in 2019-20 before they traded him to the Calgary Flames for a 2020 third-round pick, which they spent on defenseman Wyatt Kaiser.

“When we traded him, it’s not because we didn’t like him,” Colliton said. “We had a chance to get a pick and didn’t look like we were going to be in (the playoffs) at the time.”

Gustafsson played 24 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season, then was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, for whom he finished out the regular season and played 16 postseason games, including three in the Stanley Cup Final.

This preseason, Gustafsson had a tryout with the New York Islanders, but they lacked the cap space to keep him.

“It’s very tough,” he said. “Like everyone else, I wanted a camp contract when I flew over here, but coming to the Islanders I learned a lot and they have a great team over there. I felt like I did my part (during) the camp. I had strong games, but it worked out now. I’m back here now.”

Some injuries to defensemen, including Wyatt Kalynuk and Caleb Jones, had the Hawks looking for help.

Gustafsson said the Hawks haven’t said much about how they might use him, but he could bring experience to the third defensive pairing and second power-play unit.

Colliton noted that when Gustafsson quarterbacked the first unit in 2018-19, the “power play was clicking pretty good.”

“We also were chasing the game a lot too,” Colliton said. “He’s a guy who, when you are behind, you play him a lot because he can get you back in it because he can make a play out of nothing. But our team is built differently now . ... It’s about understanding when’s the time to try and change the game and when’s the time to just take what they give you.”

One knock on Gustafsson during his previous run in Chicago was that he could be a liability on defense. He said he has evolved since then.

“I’ve been better without the puck and stronger,” he said. “More confidence. More games. Playing more games. I learned a lot from every team I’ve played (with), and every coach has helped me play defensively and helped me get stronger there.”

He said his familiarity with Colliton helps. Colliton was the Rockford IceHogs coach in 201718 when Gustafsson split time between Rockford and Chicago, and he took over as Hawks coach in 2018-19, when Gustafsson had his breakout season.

“It’s nice not to have to build a new relationship and get a guy totally up to speed,” Colliton said. “There’s things he’s going to need — we’re going to get him understanding what we’re doing — but it’ll be a lot quicker process than it would otherwise be.”

Gustafsson said of Colliton: “He’s seen my worst games, my best games and he’s talking to me a lot. Probably talked to me four or five times today. We know each other a lot, so that’s one (reason) I wanted to come back here too.

“You know all the guys, you know the whole facility, you know the United Center, you know the city. (I can) just focus on hockey right away and not think about other stuff.”