I am surprised the wheel did not fall off. You lost the hitch pin that is supposed to be through the hole in the hub.

That is helpful. I can see there should be some kind of a pin or assembly. The left side is a straightforward pin. The Right side has a collar sort of thing that goes over the axle but does not line up right to have a bolt or pin that goes through the hole in the end of the axle. Maybe it should have a set screw. I need to see if I can find a manual or schematic at least.

What is the model number on your craftsman snowblower? I had a craftsman come into the shop last week and the guy had lost all drive. It turned out to be a 1-1/4 1/4-20 bolt and a nut. It broke and caused the wheels to spin freely. It does sound like you lost a snap pin on the wheel. Send me the model# and I will take a look at it. If you go to sears.com and then into parts and enter your model #, you can see the IPL there too, Patrick

Ditto on the snap pin on the rear wheel. It aligns with the hole in the axle & makes for easier maneuvering when it's out. I usually leave mine in, although it's been so long since a good snow I hardly remember.