Just three games into his Blackhawks career, Drake Caggiula is already settling into his new surroundings. The transition to a different city and new team can often be intimidating, and it's a process that takes time. However, if you ask Caggiula, he's doing just fine.
"I feel a lot more comfortable right now than I did before," he said after practice on Thursday. "I think just the calmness of the organization and I feel like I have a comfortability with them just going back to my college days."
Chicago acquired Caggiula via trade from the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 29, a few years after trying to sign him as a college free agent.
"The [Blackhawks] tried really hard to recruit me here and when they called me they reiterated over and over how they traded for me because of the player I am and they don't want to change who I am as a player," said Caggiula. "I think I was maybe walking on eggshells trying to please certain people and all that certain stuff. Now I'm forgetting all about that and just playing hockey again. I got a fresh start here in a new organization and I'm able to just come in with a clear mind and play hockey without having to think. That's making it a lot easier for me."
FEATURE: Caggiula settling in with simple game
Drake Caggiula has played just three games in a Blackhawks sweater but he is building his game from the bottom up, hoping production soon follows