Johnny Oduya. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(WSCR) When Johnny Oduya was first traded to the Blackhawks just before the trade deadline, the Hawks were in an interesting state.
The team had just come off a nine-game losing streak, followed by a three-game winning streak. The Blackhawks currently own the sixth seed in the Western Conference, and the pressure of making the playoffs is something the 30-year-old defenseman welcomes.
“The pressure is always going to be there,” Oduya told The Boers and Bernstein Show. “In Winnipeg, we were in the playoff hunt, and they’re still right on that spot where they can be in or out. Just coming here, unless you’re clearly in the playoffs and can kind of take it easy, it’s just a battle every night. That’s how you want to do it. I don’t think it changes really that much. I’m looking forward to having that pressure there.”
LISTEN: Johnny Oduya on The Boers and Bernstein Show
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Though the trade from Winnipeg has been challenging, Oduya said this is exactly the type of situation he wants to be in.
“You come to a new team that is obviously very good and you have a chance to go deep in the playoffs — that’s what you want as a hockey player,” he said. “It was definitely mixed feelings in the beginning, but as it goes along, you get more and more comfortable.”
