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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.

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 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' 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings in a preseason game at the United Center on Tuesday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks' defense starred in the team's preseason opener. The Blackhawks limited the Red Wings to five shots in the first period, eight shots in the second period and six shots in the third period. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford wasn't challenged much, but he still kept the Red Wings off the board and made 19 saves. Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp broke a scoreless tie when he tallied a goal from the right circle at 16:37 of the second period. One minute and nine seconds later, Ben Smith put the Blackhawks ahead 2-0 when he tipped in a shot from Jimmy Hayes. The Red Wings' Teemu Pulkkinen and Mitch Callahan both received game misconducts. Pulkkinen received his for boarding Blackhawks defenseman Michael Kostka in the first period. Kostka suffered an injury on the hit and did not return to the game.

What it means: Some of the Blackhawks battling for a roster spot got on the score sheet in the win. Hayes and Smith hooked up for the second goal, and Jeremy Morin set up Sharp for the first one. Blackhawks forwards Brandon Saad and Teuvo Teravainen are both learning to play center and gained some game experience Tuesday. Saad and Teravainen struggled on the faceoff in the first period, but their numbers improved as the game went on.

Player of the game: Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook had an assist, a plus-2 rating and two blocked shots.

What's next: The Blackhawks will play six preseason games before their season opener on Oct. 1. They will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michael Kostka left Tuesday's preseason game in the first period and did not return against the Detroit Red Wings after being illegally checked into the boards by Red Wings forward Teemu Pulkkinen.

Kostka laid face down on the ice for a few minutes and was attended to by the team's training staff. He was eventually able to skate off the ice under his power and went into the locker room.

Pulkkinen was given a game misconduct and a five-minute major boarding penalty at 2:16 of the first period.

After the game, the Blackhawks said Kostka suffered an upper-body injury.

"I thought [the hit] was very dangerous," coach Joel Quenneville said. "[Kostka's] not bad, but he couldn't play. We'll see a little bit better assessment [on Wednesday.]

"I think he's had a real good camp. We like what he brings to our team. He defends real well, real active in the attack, off the point. He wants the puck, make plays, sees plays. I think he's going to be useful."

The Blackhawks signed Kostka to a one-year deal in July. He was previously in the Toronto Maple Leafs' organization and spent time with the Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, last season. He played in 35 regular-season games and one playoff game with the Maple Leafs last season.

The Chicago Blackhawks re-signed forward Drew LeBlanc to a two-year contract and signed defensemen Theo Peckham and Michael Kostka to one-year contracts on Friday.

The 24-year-old LeBlanc was originally signed by the Blackhawks in April after completing his senior season at St. Cloud State. He won the 2013 Hobey Baker Memorial Award after having 13 goals and 37 assists in 42 games for the Huskies. He played in two regular-season games with the Blackhawks.

The 25-year-old Peckham played last season with the Edmonton Oilers and the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons. He had six penalty minutes in four games with the Oilers and had one assist and 29 penalty minutes in four games with the Barons. He played in 160 career games with the Oilers from 2007-2013. He was an unrestricted free agent.

The 27-year-old Kostka played last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He had eight assists and 27 penalty minutes in 35 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs and appeared in one playoff game. He had six goals and 28 assists in 34 games with the Marlies. He was an unrestricted free agent.