Sharp: Returning to Blackhawks 'was an easy decision'

Patrick Sharp was the second free agent to put pen to paper July 1, and for the former Blackhawk, it was a no-brainer to return to the Windy City.

"It was an easy decision, to be honest with you," he told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times. "When you spend as much time in the city with the Hawks as I did, and you have the success as a team that we did in those years past, and you also remember the way you got treated as a Chicago Blackhawk - it's a special thing to put on that jersey."

Sharp was acquired by the Hawks in 2005, and played in Chicago until he was traded to Dallas after the 2014-15 season. Over 679 regular season games, he scored 239 goals and recorded 511 points.

It was during the playoffs that Sharp truly cemented his legacy with the Blackhawks. He was a part of all three of the their recent Stanley Cup-winning teams, scoring 42 goals and adding 38 assists in 117 playoff games.

The 35-year-old struggled this past season with the Stars, tallying just 18 points during an injury-riddled 48-game season. Despite the rough year, he was still a hot commodity in a weak free-agent class.

"I had plenty of options that I was humbled by during the free-agency week," he told Lazerus. "But at the end of the week, it was an easy decision to come home."

Sharp won't be the only Blackhawk returning home, as the team also re-acquired Brandon Saad this offseason. This isn't a new trend. Several Blackhawks, including Kris Versteeg, Johnny Oduya, Andrew Ladd, Brian Campbell, and Daniel Carcillo have won a cup with the team only to return for a second stint later on in their careers.