Nick Leddy is expected to be a fixture as the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 5 defenseman again. What’s up in the air is which players will fill the No. 6, No. 7 and even possibly No. 8 defenseman roles for the Blackhawks this season.

Unless Leddy is traded, which his agent recently said he doesn’t expect, Leddy could be paired with a different defenseman on any given night as he did last season. He found himself partnered with Michal Rozsival, Sheldon Brookbank, Mike Kostka and David Rundblad last season.

The possibilities right now for Leddy are to be paired with Rozsival and Rundblad. Brookbank wasn’t re-signed in the offseason and Kostka was picked up on waivers in March.

Rozsival was solid throughout the Blackhawks’ playoff run in 2013, but his play declined last season and was made a healthy scratch for two games in the playoffs. He just turned 36 and his age has slowed him down in the recent years. He played in 27-of-48 regular-season games in 2013 and in 42-of-82 games last season. If he remains on the roster, the Blackhawks would likely rotate him again.

Rundblad was acquired by the Blackhawks near the trade deadline for a second-round pick last season. Although Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said just before acquiring Rundblad that having eight defensemen on the roster was too challenging, the Blackhawks were again given eight defensemen when Rundblad joined the team.

Rundblad, 23, appeared in five regular-season games last season, but he’s expected to be given a greater chance this season. Bowman coveted Rundblad for some time and did give up a high pick for him.

“I think he’s an example of a young player who’s ready for an opportunity,” Bowman said in June. “He’s in that age bracket where he’s 23, 24 years old. I think he just needs an opportunity for us. He’s got a ton of talent. He’s got a little more familiarity with our system now. It’s tough when he came in at the trade deadline, he didn’t get a lot of games, but everything is new in terms of how we play, what the coaches are looking for. Now he comes into training camp he’s way ahead of where he was back in March, so I would expect that to be a benefit for him. He understands the style of our team, what our coaches like and what they want him to do and I think he’s going to have a comfort level, so it’s good for a player like that to come in and have a chance.”

The Blackhawks also have four defensemen who could make the NHL jump from the AHL this season if needed. Adam Clendening, 21, has been one of the AHL’s most offensive defensemen the past two seasons. Klas Dahlbeck, 23, is a stay-at-home defenseman who has improved his offensive game. He practiced with the Blackhawks throughout the playoffs last season. Stephen Johns, 22, joined the organization last season after playing four years at Notre Dame. He’s a physical defenseman. Kyle Cumiskey, 27, spent the last two seasons in Sweden after playing in 132 NHL games earlier in his career.