Blackhawks' Rundblad 'really pissed off' over lack of playing time last season

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman David Rundblad was once heralded as the next great offensive defenseman from Sweden, but things have gone awry in the years since Rundblad crossed the Atlantic to play professional hockey in North America.

Rundblad has been traded twice since arriving in North America before the beginning of the 2011-12 season, from the Ottawa Senators to the Phoenix Coyotes as the centerpiece in the Kyle Turris deal, then again from the Coyotes to the Blackhawks for considerably less than that this past season. 

In Phoenix, Rundblad was a regular healthy scratch and not much changed when he arrived in Chicago. In five games with the Blackhawks, Rundblad played more than 10 minutes on one occassion.

"Last season was of course destroyed very early and it's clear that I have been really pissed," Rundblad told Expressen this week via google translate. "One wants to play games. When you sit on the side and don't get the chance (to play), you lose the rhythm and... very quickly stagnate."

The Swedish power-play specialist hopes things are different this year. He has one season remaining on a two-year, one-way NHL contract and isn't exempt from waivers, so he may become available if he doesn't break camp the Blackhawks. Obviously he'd rather make the team and play regularly though.

"I obviously hope that their game should be able to fit me," Rundblad said, "They told me too that they believe in me."