Pity the Chicago Blackhawks. Just when it seemed like they had traded their last player, like they had their unwieldy payroll under control, the San Jose Sharks swooped in, ruining what has already been a difficult summer for the Stanley Cup champions.

The Blackhawks, of course, matched the Sharks’ four-year, $14 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson. Did the Sharks really want the 23-year-old defenseman badly, or did they hope the offer would further shred their rival? Hmmm. It’s a little of both, no doubt.

Keeping the 23-year-old defenseman creates another mess for Chicago, which has already traded Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel and Kris Versteeg to get under the salary cap.

Someone else is going to leave now.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks have only 15 players signed for 2010-11 and more than $4 million in bonuses counting against the cap, meaning that $59.4 million cap is smaller.

The Blackhawks still need to ink goalie Antti Niemi and wingers Bryan Bickell and Jack Skille, all restricted free agents. Defenseman Brent Seabrook is only a year away from restricted free agency.

Niemi, a championship netminder, will receive a significant bump from his $827,000 salary last season. Based on Hjalmarsson’s deal and St. Louis goalie Jaroslav Halak’s recent four-year, $15 million contract, Niemi will make out nicely. The Finn has an arbitration hearing July 29.

“We’re still negotiating with Antti,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman told the Sun-Times. “It’s back-and-forth. We’re trying to get it done. We’ll keep at it. … Hopefully, we can get him signed. It’s a negotiation. Both sides have their points of view. Hopefully, it works out.”

It’s almost a given the Blackhawks will subtract (and eat) Cristobal Huet’s absurd $5.625 million salary by sending the backup goalie to the minors.

What else can they do? They can try to trade defenseman Brian Campbell and his astounding $7.14 million salary. Good luck. Campbell, while a talented player, is supremely overrated. His contract’s an albatross, arguably the NHL’s worst (hey, there’s a reason former general manager Dale Tallon’s in Florida now). He seems untradeable. He also has a limited no-trade clause.

So far, the Blackhawks have avoided dealing any of their core players. Maybe that has to change.

Perhaps winger Patrick Sharp could be dangled. He’s coveted throughout the league. Maybe the Blackhawks simply trade or simply cut ties with Niemi. Nothing against Niemi, but he’s the weakest Cup-winning goalie in recent memory. He’s not a main cog. While he could someday become a star, his contract will likely outweigh his talents. They can walk away from an arbitration award.

“We’re going to do everything we can to keep (players and) stay under the salary cap with the rules that are in play,” Bowman said. “It’s premature to say where it’s all going to end up in October. But we’re working and planning things as best we can.”

Bowman has an arduous task ahead of him.

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