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CHICAGO -- Mike Kostka wasn’t so sure when his agent offered the Chicago Blackhawks as a possible destination for the free-agent defenseman in the summer.

“Initially, I was thinking no way,” Kostka said. “It just doesn’t seem to add up.”

What Kostka didn’t get was where he fit in the Blackhawks’ equation. The Blackhawks were already returning all seven of their defensemen from last season’s Stanley Cup championship team, and they also had a couple prospects on the verge of the NHL.

Yet, Kostka signed a one-year deal with the Blackhawks in July because his agent, Justin Duberman, and Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman convinced him that he had a legitimate shot of making the team.

Duberman and Bowman can now tell Kostka, “We told you so.” Kostka beat out defenseman Ryan Stanton for the Blackhawks’ eighth and final defenseman roster spot over the weekend.

“It means a ton,” Kostka said of making the team. “It was a stressful few weeks, that’s for sure, with my goal coming here and stick out of camp and give myself an opportunity to play for this team. They were coming off a pretty good year last year, so coming into it I was hoping to put my best foot forward, and I feel like I did.

“Chicago was the one team I felt I was going to get my best opportunity despite how deep they already were. I was kind of chuckling to myself after I signed. Of all of the places, I didn’t think this would be one of them. But I was thrilled to get the opportunity and thrilled to move forward.”

Kostka had a few interested teams in the offseason because of his play with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. He played 35 regular-season games and one playoff game with the Maple Leafs.

As much as Kostka appreciated his opportunity with the Maple Leafs, he didn’t feel like his entire skill set was being utilized. He wasn’t given much offensive freedom in Toronto, and that was something he thought he could get more of in Chicago.

“I take pride in playing an all-around game,” Kostka said. “I think the one thing that was really attractive here is it’s a puck-moving team. We got awesome forwards and just basically get them the puck and get into the play. That’s a style of game I Iike to play. I think it’ll mesh with the team.

“It was a bit of an adjustment to how things were in Toronto, a more defensive-minded team. And so, it’s a breath of fresh air coming in. I think I gel a little bit more with this style of play than maybe in a more shutdown role I had in Toronto.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville began mentioning Kostka early in training camp as someone who caught his eye. As the camp progressed, Quenneville became more impressed and eventually decided to choose Kostka over Stanton, which also meant putting Stanton on waivers and losing him to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.

“Kostka’s one of those defenseman who is useful as far as both sides of the puck,” Quenneville said. “I think he gives us nice offense from the back end. He’s versatile. He can defend well. He’s got quickness. He’s very handy with the puck.

“He just adds more depth to our team. Losing Stanton says something. It’s something we didn’t envision. But at the same time, getting [Kostka] regularly in there at some point you get a better assessment of what he’s capable of. Offensively, he really complements our style of play.”

Just as his agent thought he would.

CHICAGO -- The Vancouver Canucks claimed defenseman Ryan Stanton off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, coach Joel Quenneville confirmed.

Stanton was among the Blackhawks' final training camp roster cuts and was placed on waivers on Sunday. He was beat out by Michael Kostka for the Blackhawks' final defenseman spot.

"We had eight [defensemen] here, and we were concerned he might get picked up on waivers," Quenneville said after practice on Monday. "We liked the depth he gave us, and he played well for us. It's good for him to actually get the chance to play at this level right off the bat. We wish him well. You can always use extra defensemen in your organization, and he definitely gave us that."

The 24-year-old Stanton was originally signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent on March 12, 2010. He was a restricted free agent after the 2012-13 season and re-signed for a one-year deal in July.

Stanton has played in the AHL for the Rockford IceHogs for most of the past three seasons. He had three goals, 22 assists and a plus-16 rating in 73 regular season games with the IceHogs last season. He played in one game for the Blackhawks last season and practiced with the team throughout the playoffs.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford and forwards Marian Hossa and Michal Handzus will play in the season opener on Tuesday after being held out of the final preseason game for precautionary reasons, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said on Monday.

Crawford missed the final preseason game on Saturday due to lower-body stiffness after playing in two preseason games. Hossa (upper body) and Handzus (lower body) did not appear in any preseason games.

The Blackhawks had all 23 roster players participate in practice at the Johnny’s IceHouse West on Monday.

“Everybody who was on the ice is able to play,” Quenneville said. “[Crawford] is starting. Handzus and Hossa are ready to play.”

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Here are six observations from the Chicago Blackhawks' training camp and preseason games:

1. The durability of the Blackhawks’ older players has to be a concern. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has been very cautious with players’ injuries in the preseason. There is no reason to risk anything. Yet, the fact 34-year-old Marian Hossa and 36-year-old Michal Handzus didn’t play in a single preseason game and haven’t been 100 percent healthy in the preseason has to be somewhat alarming. Both players are getting up in age, and both are coming off a season where they suffered severe injuries. With Hossa, there’s a lot at stake for the present, but even more so for the future. Back injuries aren’t anything to mess with, and the Blackhawks are depending on Hossa for years to come. As for Handzus, his injury wouldn’t be as much of an immediate concern if Brandon Saad or Brandon Pirri had worked out at the second-line center. But with Handzus being that option now, the Blackhawks are looking for him to duplicate what he did in the playoffs.

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The Chicago Blackhawks assigned forward Kyle Beach to HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Beach was drafted by the Blackhawks with the No. 11th overall pick of the 2008 draft. He has not appeared in any NHL games. He was a restricted free agent after the 2012-13 season and was re-signed to a one-year deal by the Blackhawks in July.

Beach has played for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL the last three seasons. He had 16 goals, 10 assists and a team-high 204 penalty minutes in 66 regular-season games last season.

Beach played in one preseason game for the Blackhawks this season. He was assigned to the IceHogs on Sept. 24.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy’s thought process begins with passing.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville has been working to change it to shooting first.

On Saturday, Leddy listened to Quenneville ... and it paid off with two goals in the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime win over the Washington Capitals in the Blackhawks’ final preseason game.

“I think just growing up and playing that way your whole life,” Leddy said of his tendency to pass. “I think that’s the way my mind kind of goes. That’s the first instinct. I have to get over that. That will be nice.

“I think there are opportunities in the past where I’ve passed up on shots. Now I’m trying to get the shooter’s mentality and try to shoot the more.”

Leddy’s first goal was set up when Patrick Sharp skated around two defenders on the right side, Leddy skated up into the slot and Sharp found him. Leddy beat Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby with a shot into the top right corner of the net in the first period.

On the second goal, Sharp again delivered the pass and Leddy fired a shot from near the blue line that found its way into the bottom right corner in the second period.

Quenneville was hopeful Leddy would remember Saturday’s results going forward.

“You got a night like tonight where they start going in and maybe tells you more, ‘Let’s think shot, shot, shot,’” Quenneville said.

Capitals again: The Blackhawks and Capitals will meet again on Tuesday in the season opener, but with different lineups.

The Capitals were without Alex Ovechkin on Saturday, and the Blackhawks also sat a number of their key players, including Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford.

“They had some guys out of their lineup and so did we,” Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw said. “I think it’s going to be a different game come Tuesday.”

The Chicago Blackhawks reduced their roster to 24 players on Saturday by assigning goaltender Antti Raanta and forwards Jeremy Morin and Brandon Pirri to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

The Blackhawks are expected to make one more roster cut in the next few days. They currently have 13 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville recently said he planned to keep eight defensemen. The final spot is likely between Michael Kostka and Ryan Stanton.

The Blackhawks open their season against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

CHICAGO – Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime win over the Washington Capitals in a preseason game at the United Center on Saturday.

How it happened: Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw scored the game winner in overtime when he knocked in a puck in front of the net. Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy scored twice, and Jimmy Hayes added a goal. Both of Leddy’s goals were set up by forward Patrick Sharp. The Blackhawks held the Capitals to 15 shots on goal. Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin made 12 saves. The Blackhawks had 35 shots on goal. Mikhail Grabovski, Joel Ward and Marcus Johansson scored for the Capitals.

What it means: The Blackhawks closed out the preseason with a 4-0-2 record. The Blackhawks will make three more cuts in the next few days. Defenseman Ryan Stanton and forward Jeremy Morin did not play on Saturday and are expected to be two of the cuts. The Blackhawks held out goaltender Corey Crawford and forward Marian Hossa for precautionary reasons. Both are expected to play in the season opener.

Player of the game: Leddy led the Blackhawks with three points. He had two goals and an assist.

What’s next: The Blackhawks and Capitals don’t have to wait long to play again. They will face each other again in the season opener at the United Center on Tuesday. The Blackhawks will raise their Stanley Cup banner prior to the game.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford will sit out the team’s final preseason game Saturday because of lower-body stiffness, but he is expected to play in Tuesday's season opener, coach Joel Quenneville said.

“Crow was a little stiff [Friday] after practice, just more precautionary,” Quenneville said after Saturday’s morning skate at the United Center. “Crow should be fine.”

Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will start in the preseason game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday. The Blackhawks recalled goaltender Antti Raanta from the Rockford IceHogs to back up Khabibulin on Saturday.

Crawford, who ha splayed in two preseason games, participated in the team’s morning skate Saturday.

Crawford received a six-year, $36-million extension in the offseason after helping the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup last season. He was 19-5-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in the regular season. He was 16-7 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 23 playoff games.

The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled goaltender Antti Raanta from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, the team announced today.

Raanta, 24, has appeared in one preseason game with the Blackhawks, earning a 5-4 shootout win over the Washington Capitals on Sept. 20. He made 26 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts in the victory.

The Rauma, Finland, native was 21-10-11 with five shutouts, a 1.85 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in 45 games last season with Assat Pori of SM-liiga (Finland) on the way to a championship.

Raanta was honored as the top goaltender in the league and was the Most Valuable Player of the regular season and playoffs.

CHICAGO -- Joakim Nordstrom was realistic about his odds of making the Chicago Blackhawks’ roster out of training camp.

The 21-year-old understood there were a couple of roster spots open and that a number of established prospects were likely going to land them. What Nordstrom promised himself was he wasn’t going to leave camp with any regrets whether or not he made the team.

“I might have been a long shot, but I worked hard all this summer and came here prepared,” Nordstrom said Friday. “My mindset was to work as hard as I could and give myself the chance.”

With just a few days of camp remaining, Nordstrom’s confident he has lived up to his own promise. And in doing so, it appears as if he might have defied the odds and earned one of the remaining roster spots.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville must make three roster cuts prior to Tuesday’s season opener, and he said Friday that Nordstrom was in a good spot compared to the other players on the bubble.

“The way he’s played, he’s enhanced his position, but I think it’s close in all the other positions,” Quenneville said after Friday’s practice.

Nordstrom separated himself from the other prospects by proving to be a suitable penalty kill partner for Marcus Kruger. Michael Frolik and Kruger were key to the Blackhawks’ penalty kill success last season and Quenneville was in search of someone to replace Frolik, who is now with the Winnipeg Jets.

“I think we were looking for the guy maybe more so for that role,” Quenneville said. “That [Frolik] niche that they had, him and [Kruger] really stabilized a need for us. If we can get that guy right out of the gate, that would be ideal for us. I think [Nordstrom’s] been pretty efficient in that role so far. I think it’s helped him along this camp.”

Nordstrom had played some penalty kill for the Swedish junior national team and didn’t feel out of sorts when given that opportunity by Quenneville. Kruger, who is also from Sweden, has also assisted Nordstrom.

“I think that’s one of my biggest strengths,” Nordstrom said of the penalty kill. “I look at myself as a hockey player. That’s one spot that’s open. I think it makes sense that I’m looking to take that spot.

“[Kruger’s] been helping me a lot. Obviously it’s a new language. Some of the words I’m still trying to figure out. The new system and all that kind of stuff he’s been helping me out. He’s been great for me.”

As happy as Nordstrom is to make it this far in camp, he isn’t about to relax until the final cuts are made. The Blackhawks will play one final preseason game Saturday before the final roster is established.

Nordstrom is hopeful he’ll make the team, but he’s prepared to head back to the Rockford IceHogs and keep pushing for his dream.

“My dream ever since I found out about the NHL when I was small and skating, I always wanted to play here,” Nordstrom said. “So I’m not going to give up that dream until I stop playing. I’ll just work harder.”

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks were granted permission to have Jamal Mayers' name engraved on the Stanley Cup as part of their 2012-13 championship team despite not meeting eligibility requirements after players and management filed a petition.

During a full 82-game season, players are required to play in half of the regular-season games or appear in one Stanley Cup finals game to be eligible to be on the Stanley Cup. Last season, due to the shortened 48-game season, the requirements were to either play in 23 regular-season game or one Stanley Cup finals game.

Mayers fell short of those requirements after playing in 19 regular-season games and no playoff games.

The Blackhawks unveiled the newly-engraved Stanley Cup on Thursday, and it included Mayers’ name.

“Good for Jammer; I’m happy for him,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said on Thursday. “He was a big part of our team. We loved what he brought. His experience, his leadership, his professionalism was in the right spot. I’m sure he had a great summer when he got to hoist the Cup and had it in St. Louis. It’s always a proud moment. I’m happy for him.”

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