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Barry Melrose examines how the acquisition of Johnny Oduya could be important as the Blackhawks fight for a playoff spot.

ESPNChicago's Jesse Rogers discusses what the Blackhawks may do before Monday's NHL trade deadline.

CALGARY, Alberta -- Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is already on record saying he's looking to trade for a defenseman before the deadline on Feb. 27. But on Friday he stood by his goaltenders, in particular, Corey Crawford.

"I'm happy with the guys we have," Bowman said before his team took on the Calgary Flames. "We need to be stronger in that area but they've proven they're good goaltenders. [Thursday] night it wasn't a good performance, but just two nights before that Corey had a great game."

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Make that 13 Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks from the 2010 roster who have moved on, after Tomas Kopecky was traded to the Florida Panthers on Monday. And that number doesn’t include Cristobal Huet, who won’t play another game for the Hawks, or Jordan Hendry, who might not either.

It could be the biggest turnover of a championship roster in just over a year that the NHL has ever seen. The difference between this summer and the last one is general manager Stan Bowman isn’t being forced to make these moves, as he was a year ago. He’s doing them willingly.

The three latest players who left, Kopecky, Troy Brouwer and Brian Campbell, all conceivably would have been overpaid entering the 2011-12 campaign. Campbell’s situation is well documented and while Brouwer and Kopecky were nice players, they were due raises into the $2-million range and both could have ended up playing fourth-line minutes.

Kopecky getting dealt to Florida was a head scratcher from the Panthers' angle. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent come Friday, and while he had a decent season, he's hardly a player that will instigate a bidding war. Panthers GM Dale Tallon gave up a pick for him when he could have gotten him for nothing at the end of the week. And Tallon has more cap money to spend than anyone in the league. Bowman must have wondered what the catch was for a moment before agreeing. Kopecky has some leverage now, because if he doesn’t sign with Florida, Tallon will come out of it looking bad.

Bowman is simply setting up his roster so he can get close to full value throughout. As the saying goes, this is business, not personal.

Just like last offseason, the Blackhawks who were jettisoned are talented, but don’t fit the team's plans at the prices they were commanding. With the news that Jake Dowell might not return, since the Hawks did not extend a “qualifying” offer to him, the shedding might be complete.

It’s time to add, starting with the re-signing of Chris Campoli, Michael Frolik and Viktor Stalberg. Expect quick and bloodless negotiations, though the restricted free agents don’t have to be signed by Friday when free agency begins. It’s doubtful any will be extended an offer sheet as Niklas Hjalmarsson was last July.

As for Dowell, the fourth-line center simply didn’t live up to the gritty two-way player the Hawks envisioned. He’s not expensive, but the Hawks don’t want to be tied to a one-way contract as they explore rebuilding that trio. A two-way contract could be in the cards for Dowell if he doesn’t find another team to offer better.

Friendly faces

The relationship between the Hawks and their former front office employees has been interesting to watch, to say the least. Last summer, Bowman and Rick Dudley, then with Atlanta, pulled off the blockbusters. This time, it was Bowman and his predecessor, Tallon.

Tallon did the Hawks a huge favor by taking on Campbell’s contract. It’s doubtful anyone else would have. Listening to him at the NHL draft this past weekend, he sounded like a man still wanting to justify the money and years he gave Campbell in 2008 while he was the GM in Chicago and Campbell was a big-ticket free agent. But Joel Quenneville didn’t play him like a $7-million man, and maybe the Panthers will. Bowman and another former Hawks’ GM, Bob Murray, have also done business since the former took over the job in 2009.

For those pining for a return of some of the other championship pieces who exited, ironically, the Hawks now have money to afford some of them back if they desire. John Madden and Brent Sopel are available and both undoubtedly would love to return. Adam Burish is signed for one more year in Dallas and his cap hit is $1.15 million. That seemed like a king’s ransom a year ago, but it’s exactly in line with what the Hawks can -- and probably will -- spend to help rebuild their fourth line. Ben Eager is also available, and the Hawks already kicked the tires on reacquiring him last season before he was eventually moved to San Jose.

“Sometimes you target players, and we do have a little bit more room now to make sure we get guys that we value at that position,” Bowman said of the fourth line on Saturday at the NHL draft. “It’s an important thing.”

Reacquiring players who won the Cup just because they won the Cup is shortsighted and way too sentimental for an NHL general manager. But in the case of a few of these names, it might not be a bad thing.

Burish, Madden and Sopel are capable of providing some of what went missing last season, in terms of character in the dressing room. They also play a role which Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were weary of even before the latest trades: they’re all good interviews. Especially Burish.

Campbell, Brouwer and even Kopecky were all willing and able whenever a microphone was placed in front of them. Every interview they did was one less Kane and Toews had to do. And those stars appreciated it. Burish might talk too much for a coach’s liking, but if he takes pressure off other players, there is plenty of value in it. Of course, the Hawks would have to deal for him, but they have plenty of trading chips with the plethora of players they’ve acquired since last offseason..

New faces

Of course, there are plenty of other players that fit the Hawks’ needs and salary structure who will be available come Friday.

Zenon Konopka, Joel Ward, Mike Rupp, Jamal Mayers and Aaron Asham are some names that could fit the bill. Some might be too old, or not the right fit, but the point is the Hawks can pick and choose instead of being left with scraps. Maybe former Hawk Michael Handzus will get a look. Replacing one Slovak with another would make at least one Hawk happy.

A case could be made it was wrong for any of the players to be moved in the last three days, but the case for the trades is stronger. It starts and ends with the flexibility the trades provide the Hawks moving forward. The purge (part II) is over. Now starts the retooling.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded the rights to forward Tomas Kopecky to the Florida Panthers on Monday, days before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.

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As Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman heads to Minneapolis for the NHL draft on Friday and Saturday, his work for next season's team heats up when he returns.

Bowman said Wednesday he would start dealing with the Hawks' restricted free agents next week, and that's when tough decisions will be made, if they haven't been made already.

"We've made some decisions on our own, but we are not going to be announcing them now," Bowman said. "We've got ideas. There are going to be changes. We're not bringing everyone back."

He's talking more than just Marty Turco and Tomas Kopecky, who are unrestricted free agents and have little chance at returning. Bowman said Alexander Salak was going to be given the chance to be Corey Crawford's back-up, saying he was the "best goaltender in Europe" last season, so that nearly officially closes the door on Turco. But that's not news or a surprise.

As for Kopecky, unless he wants to ignore his career season and forego a raise to stay, he will undoubtedly test the market as that is his best chance in his career to cash in.

Bowman indicated the Hawks would have room to add players, but he must have been talking about the Hawks' salary cap situation after shedding more salary. Despite the rise in the NHL cap to near $64 million, it still means the Hawks need to make some tough decisions. As is, they have approximately $54 million committed to 16 players. It leaves about $10 million for six players, assuming a 22-man roster. But in reality, it's considerably less than $10 million. The Hawks need to save some room for injuries and Bowman was quick to point out the extra cap room could come in handy later.

"The additional flexibility will help us not only in the summer but during the season as well," he said.

So it's probably closer to $7-$8 million the Hawks have to spend. Three restricted free agents, Michael Frolik, Chris Campoli and Troy Brouwer will take up a good bulk of that money -- if they all return. Combined, think $5 million-$5.5 million. Barring a trade, it doesn't leave much room for a high priced newcomer.

The bottom line is whether the salary cap was going to go up or not the Hawks were going to have to say goodbye to one of their millionaires, and one way or another signs still point to Brouwer as being the guy who could go.

Brouwer is set to make at least $2 million next season as he is eligible for arbitration, and his numbers dictate a nice raise from his $1 million salary of 2010-11. But with the emergence of Ben Smith and even Marcus Kruger, there may not be a place for Brouwer among the Hawks' top nine forwards.

Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Smith, Dave Bolland, Marian Hossa, Bryan Bickell, Frolik and Kruger figure to be in the mix as top nine guys to start the season. Brouwer fits there as well, but his salary may not. Line up general managers across the league and all would take Brouwer as a better talent and player than Bickell, but at $525,000, Bickell's 17 goals are a steal. Plus, Bickell and Frolik proved they could be third-line contributors come playoff time, so they've created more flexibility for themselves.

Brouwer isn't going to play the fourth line making over $2 million. Bickell could play there, but it still handcuffs the Hawks in terms of bringing in some edgier players -- who they need -- but might command a little more than the minimum. And it certainly puts a stranglehold on the Hawks' ability to acquire a big ticket center unless it's via a trade where a high priced player, say Niklas Hjalmarsson, is moved.

Unless the Hawks break up their core on defense, at least one of their restricted free agents, if not more, on offense, will be gone by opening night. Viktor Stalberg is another candidate to be moved which could save the Hawks a few dollars. Though he did his best in a fourth line role, it's not his strong suit and the Hawks need some size and grit to return to that line.

Campoli could also be moved since the Hawks are deeper at the blue line now than they were a year ago at this time, but the Hawks blueprint for success has always started with their defense. Keeping Brouwer over Campoli doesn't sound like a choice the Hawks would make.

Bowman promised changes. There is little doubt he'll follow through on that promise.

CHICAGO -- Newly acquired Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Chris Campoli is planning on joining his new team in time for Wednesday's game against the Calgary Flames, according to his agent.

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ST. PAUL -- Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman wanted more than just the one defenseman he traded for on Monday, though he said he wasn't disappointed with the end result.

"Not disappointed," Bowman said before the Hawks took on the Wild on Monday night. "[We] said our priority was to get something done and we certainly accomplished that. We had a lot of talk about doing another thing. Little different this year. Half as many trades this year as last year. That's indicative. Only a few teams out of the playoff race in East and West."

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With the defense getting more shorthanded by the day, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired defenseman Chris Campoli from the Ottawa Senators on Monday, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

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CHICAGO -- Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said he was on the phone all day Sunday, making calls in advance of the Monday’s NHL trade deadline.

“We’re talking to a lot of people,” Bowman said before the Blackhawks’ game against the Phoenix Coyotes. “I’m losing my voice here. I’ve been on the phone all day. You can’t predict it. But we are aggressively trying to improve the team.”

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Defensemen were in the news for the Chicago Blackhawks as they got back to practice on Saturday in advance of Sunday night’s contest against the Phoenix Coyotes.

First came overnight word, reported by TSN, that Brent Seabrook was on the verge of a 5-year contract extension. General manager Stan Bowman confirmed the Hawks were “close” to a deal with Seabrook though no official announcement was made.

Nick Boynton was then picked up off waivers by Philadelphia, paving the way for a trade-deadline deal for another defenseman.

The near-agreement with Seabrook confirms Bowman’s season-long assertion that the Hawks wanted him in Chicago as part of their core -- despite the now massive expenditures the Hawks have committed to blueliners over the next several years. Bowman said defense is where it all starts in the Hawks’ system.

For the record, starting next season, the Hawks will have approximately $22 million in cap money committed to their top four defensemen. It’s a large amount, only Philadelphia comes close, paying out that much in cap space for five defensemen.

With the move, the Hawks have committed themselves to the Seabrook/Duncan Keith tandem as anchors for the long term. Seabrook has plenty of value, despite a down year in some aspects. He can skate, pass, has size and might be the only physical defensemen the Hawks employ. He’s not known for any one trait. Instead, Seabrook does many things very well. Was it worth near $6 million a year? The marketplace says it was.

The Hawks could move a blueliner in the offseason, or at least try. With the emergence of Nick Leddy, Brian Campbell has become even more expendable. Though he’s a valuable player, proof of which came when he was injured, his trade value may never be higher. He’s having a terrific plus/minus season while anchoring the second power-play unit. He’s also had time on the penalty kill. It’s been whispered around the league Campbell has been available for quite some time, possibly since soon after signing his mega 8-year deal. But his $7.14 million cap hit has scared potential suitors away and with five years remaining on his contract, the price might still be too high.

That leaves Niklas Hjalmarsson as a trade candidate. The Hawks were prepared to pay him in the $1.5-$2 million range before he got an offer sheer to sign with San Jose last summer. The Hawks matched the four-year, $14 million deal thinking he was an emerging force on both ends of the ice. Hjalmarsson had a rough start to the season and has almost become a shot-blocking specialist. He’s excelled at it and has been stronger on the defensive end overall, but only has seven points in 59 games. He might still blossom into the player who’s game senior adviser Scotty Bowman likened to Nicklas Lidstrom, but this year, he was overpaid.

As much as the potential need to shed salary on the back end, the Hawks would be maximizing their situation by making a trade, due to the surprising emergence of Nick Leddy as a top four defenseman. While it could be argued they are overpaying for the return they’re getting from their blueliners, Leddy marks one player who’s playing above his pay grade. The Hawks need to take advantage of it.

On the other hand, there might not be an offseason move of a defenseman due to the importance that position. If the Hawks have five or six they really like, that might get them farther than trying to mix and match while spending more on forwards.

As for Boynton’s departure, it won’t anger many fans. He had incurred their wrath by taking bad penalties and getting beat on the defensive end, not to mention accidentally knocking Marian Hossa out of commission for a month after a practice collision.

His departure makes another move by Bowman nearly imperative. Ironically, Boynton was the guy the Hawks brought in last season as defensive insurance, and he proved worthy with a nice finish, playing in the final three games of Stanley Cup finals. Maybe the Flyers remembered that performance when claiming him.

You can never have enough defense and now the Hawks are down an extra body. Expect them to make a final push for Matt Hunwick of Colorado, Ladislav Smid of Edmonton, or Brett Clark of Tampa Bay, before Monday’s 2 pm trade deadline. Former Buffalo defenseman Craig Rivet, who the Hawks were looking at, was grabbed by Columbus on Saturday.

Their long term future on the blueline is set, now the Hawks just need to take care of the short term and that run to and through the playoffs might still happen.

It was a busy Saturday. Sunday and Monday could prove to be the same.

The NHL trade deadline is just days away and the Chicago Blackhawks are still looking for a defenseman. As previously reported, the Hawks have interest in Colorado’s Matt Hunwick, Edmonton’s Ladislav Smid, and Buffalo’s Steve Montador. League sources confirm the Hawks are looking at two other defensemen, including Tampa Bay’s Brett Clark.

The Hawks had interest in Boston’s Mark Stuart before he was traded to Atlanta.

Buffalo’s Craig Rivet has entered the picture as well now that he’s going through the re-entry waiver process. With a salary cap hit of $2.6 million, he was too pricey for the Hawks. Through re-entry, he can be had for half that amount which fits into the Hawks’ budget.

ESPN.com’s Pierre Lebrun is reporting Hawks defenseman Nick Boynton is on waivers which could further indicate general manager Stan Bowman is close to making a move. Sending Boynton out would clear some extra space for a new acquisition.

All reported players, except for Clark, have expiring contracts and have salary cap hits between approximately $1 million and $1.5, believed to be within the Hawks’ budget. Clark is signed through next year for $1.3 million with a cap hit of $1.5 million.

The deadline for making trades is 2 p.m. CT on Monday.

DALLAS -- General manager Stan Bowman, who traded for winger Michael Frolik on Wednesday, said the Chicago Blackhawks are not in the market for a center "unless one comes our way," but he is looking for defense.

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DALLAS -- The deal that brought Michael Frolik to the Chicago Blackhawks isn’t exactly considered an NHL blockbuster.

But general manager Stan Bowman addressed a need, and if he can address a few more before the trade deadline on Feb. 28, the Hawks will be better for it.

It comes down to urgency.

Whether Jack Skille turns into a fine offensive player or not, the Hawks don’t have time to wait around for it to happen. Plus, Bowman was right in his assessment: Skille is best on the right wing where he can get his shot off easily after a speedy rush.

The Hawks have a couple of players named Kane and Hossa that play that position. And as much as he tried, Skille isn’t a fourth-line player, though he did have a decent run there earlier in the season.

But became obvious Skille wasn’t in coach Joel Quenneville’s immediate plans. A bit slow to get to the NHL, that same pace to improve in the league wasn’t something the Hawks could afford. Not with a flawed lineup that has no second line center and a marginal top-six forward in Tomas Kopecky.

Frolik gives Quenneville more options, and he’s more polished than Skille. After watching him mix and match with his versatile lineup last season, it’s obvious Quenneville likes options.

Quenneville said Wednesday night they would start to figure out where Frolik fits in. He could center between Koepcky and Marian Hossa as an all-Eastern European line, or Kopecky could drop down to the fourth line while Troy Brouwer takes his spot. That would strengthen both trios if Frolik can find his game again and if they want him to play center. He may start out on a lower line, and at wing and have a chance “to move up in the lineup” as Quenneville put it after the Hawks’ 4-1 win over Edmonton on Wednesday. Ideally, he would be the Hawks’ second-line man in the middle, but that might be too much and too fast for him.

Young 21-goal scorers don’t become available for no reason. Frolik’s play had dropped comparatively to expectations, not unlike Skille. A change of scenery for both players could do the trick. Skille can take his time as a second-line right winger, even if the talent around him isn’t as good, while Frolik will immediately get a boost from the skill he will undoubtedly see lined up beside him.

Alexander Salak , the goalie the Hawks got in the deal, probably isn’t anything more than a possible backup in the near future. The Hawks are trying to fill their pipeline with netminders. They probably don’t have one ready to be No. 2 next season behind Crawford.

For the record, the Hawks believe in Crawford wholeheartedly. Barring something crazy happening, he is their No. 1 goaltender of the present and near future. Look for them to finally settle on the right type of netminders going forward: Big, young, athletic, and cheap. They’ll start with big, young, and cheap, and if they can get athletic, that’s a bonus. It won’t matter his draft status or past history; they can work with big and cheap. See Antti Niemi and Crawford for evidence.

So check top-six forward off the wish list, and if the Hawks are lucky they can put a double check next to “need center.”

For a man of few public words, Bowman made it clear if it’s up to the Hawks they aren’t done wheeling and dealing

“We’ll keep an eye on things,” he said. “We’re certainly looking to improve our team. That’s probably common to every team. We’re not going to shy away from another trade if it’s there to be made ... We’re pursuing it daily.”

A penalty-killing defenseman is on the wish list and possibly a rebel-rousing fourth-liner could still be in the offing.

Word is Bryan Bickell and maybe Viktor Stalberg are being dangled as bait. Let’s see what else Bowman brings back in his net.

With the news that Cristobal Huet is on the verge of playing in Europe next season, the Blackhawks finally can rest. Stan Bowman may not put out a press release declaring the offseason over, but for all intents and purposes it is.

And if fielding a team under the salary cap was his major goal, then mission accomplished. Whether they can repeat as champions is a debate that will go on long into the cold Chicago winter.

With seven defensemen, ten forwards and two goalies signed to one-way contracts, the Hawks are ready for training camp. One-way deals mean those players will be paid an NHL salary whether they play for the Hawks or in the minors. It gives those 19 players a leg up on the competition once training camp starts, but it doesn’t guarantee them anything, especially the ones making near minimum level salaries. It also allows for a couple of prospects or “come out of nowhere,” guys to make the team if they impress during preseason.

Expect the Hawks to play cap roulette throughout the season as they did at times with Jack Skille last year. Skille was up and down throughout the early portion of the season. When in the minors, his salary did not count against the cap for that day, when called up, it did. Rockford is so close the Hawks can recall a player on game day after their morning skate if need be. There’s a chance they will play with the minimum 20 on the roster in some home games, and then recall one or two for extended road trips. Both Jordan Hendry and John Scott can play forward or defense, which allows for that type of maneuvering.

So while the Hawks are under the cap, they still don’t have that much flexibility. A high draft pick, still under his entry level contract, may have trouble making the team. Those players have bonuses that increase their cap hit. Kyle Beach is a good example of a player on the salary cap bubble for that reason, even if he shows he’s good enough to make the team. At least there is some wiggle room now. A month ago there was none.

Some might find it surprising that the Hawks locked up seven veteran defensemen already, leaving little room for a young prospect. The fact of the matter is it takes blue-liners longer to learn the game and be comfortable than at any other position. Having said that, the bottom three defensemen are making $600,000 or less, so if a prospect beats one of them out, the Hawks could always send the veteran down or trade him. But there’s less than a 50 percent chance of that happening.

Looking back at the bloodletting that went on this offseason, most of it was necessary for well documented reasons. Yes, if there is a villain in this whole thing it’s probably Dale Tallon, but then again it’s hard to call him a villain when he put together a championship team. His problem was simply this: Tallon bypassed a second contract for many of his young players and went right to their third. And he did it without any outside influence -- as in offers from other teams. It started with Dustin Byfuglien and ended with overpaying players after messing up the paperwork for several restricted free agents. Cam Barker should not have made $3 million last season, but he did. In between there was the extension of Brent Sopel and the free-agent signings of Brian Campbell and Huet -- all for too much money.

Bowman cleaned up the mess as best he could, though things unraveled a bit for him when Doug Wilson and the San Jose Sharks made a huge free-agent offer to Niklas Hjarmalsson. It remains the only offer to a restricted free-agent in the NHL this offseason. It led to the loss of Antti Niemi as Hjarmalsson’s $3.5 million salary most assuredly ate into Niemi’s payday.

There have been only a handful of restricted free-agent offers in NHL history. There seems to be a gentleman’s agreement that general managers won’t hurt each other by forcing each other to pay increased salaries to their own players. Wilson has kept his reasons close to the vest, saying only that Hjarmalsson is a young, talented defenseman, but there is always more to these things than meets the eye. Some have speculated he wanted the Hawks to have to choose between Hjarmalsson and Niemi, and if the Sharks scoop up the former Hawks netminder, then that theory has more credence. Maybe Wilson did it as a shout-out to his old pal Tallon, who the Hawks sent packing last offseason, much to the dismay of many around the league.

The loss of Niemi, while getting nothing in return, remains arguably the only glaring misstep for the Hawks this offseason. As much as he “saved” the Hawks’ season, he was never part of the core that Bowman talked about as the offseason began. Time will tell if the money saved on signing Marty Turco was worth it.
Interestingly, since the lockout, the Hawks have signed three free-agent goaltenders, each older than the last at the time of their signing. Nikolai Khabibulin was 32 when he started his four-year run with the Hawks, Huet was 33 and Turco just turned 35. If Turco falters, the Hawks will be accused of not learning from their mistakes. Both Khabibulin and Huet underachieved, especially for the salaries they were commanding. Turco’s saving grace is he comes relatively cheap, which did help allow the Hawks to keep their major core intact. Depending on who Niemi signs with, it will be interesting to watch his career from afar. Of all the players who left, he’s the one with the biggest question mark. Star in the making or one-year wonder? Time will tell.

Forget about all the roster turnover, Joel Quenneville’s biggest challenge might be weathering the storm that was this past offseason. By many accounts, there have been few teams to party as hard as the Hawks did after winning the Cup. In a few weeks, he’ll get a good idea of who, if any, took the short offseason seriously.

The good news is the Hawks don’t need to win the West, they just need to get in. Talent and experience can take over from there. Until then, let the debate begin: Did they make the right decisions, and can they repeat? As the leaves begin to fall, those questions start to get answered.