Between the Circles

The Hawks will be without No. 1 center Jonathan Toews and No. 2 defenseman Brent Seabrook Saturday night against Nashville.
Both players are suffering from concussion-like symptoms, the result of hits in Wednesday's loss to Vancouver.
Center Jake Dowell was recalled from Rockford to replace Toews and will skate on the fourth line. Brent Sopel goes back into the lineup, replacing Seabrook.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Toews and Seabrook showed progress again Saturday from their injuries and was hoping they could play Monday against Minnesota.
Toews appeared in every game last season.
Seabrook hasn't missed a game in three years. Seabrook last sat out Dec. 17, 2006 due to back spasms.

The Blackhawks recalled center Jake Dowell from Rockford Saturday morning, meaning it's likely Jonathan Toews won't be in the lineup against Nashville.
Toews is suffering concussion-like symptoms from the hit delivered by Vancouver's Willie Mitchell last Wednesday.
More to follow...

While Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook didn't practice Friday morning, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't rule them out of Saturday night's game against Nashville at the United Center.
The two Hawks stars suffered concussion-like symptoms from hits in Wednesday's loss to Vancouver.
"(Toews) could play. We'll see in the morning," Quenneville said after Friday’s practice. "He presented well again today and we'll get a better idea tomorrow. They both could play."
Even if Toews and Seabrook don't play Saturday, Quenneville said he believes the injuries to be short-term.

Here are the potential lines if Toews can’t play:

Sharp – Ebbett - Brouwer
Byfuglien – Madden - Kane
Ladd – Bolland – Versteeg
??? – Fraser – Kopecky

Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook were not at practice Friday morning, leaving their status for Saturday's game against Nashville in doubt.
Toews and Seabrook both are suffering from concussion-like symptoms as the result of hits in Wednesdy's loss to Vancouver.
More to follow...

Give Kris Versteeg big points for coming to the aid of Jonathan Toews in the third period of Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Vancouver after the Blackhawks' captain was laid out by a hit from Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell.
Towes had to leave the game at 5:55 of the third period with what appeared to be a head injury while Versteeg received four minutes in penalties for roughing.
The fact that it was the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Versteeg jumping in with Mitchell leads back to the question a lot of Hawks fans have been asking since training camp: Does this team need a tough guy, a deterrent for those opposing players wishing to take runs at Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and the other skilled forwards?

Antti Niemi for Cristobal Huet won’t be the only change in the Blackhawks’ lineup for tonight's game against Vancouver at the United Center.
Jordan Hendry gets to play on defense for the first time this season, replacing Brent Sopel, who is minus-4 after eight games.
"We want to get Jordan in here; it's game nine now,” coach Joel Quenneville said. "We were looking to see him get in earlier than this, but you don't want to change a winning lineup. He had a good camp and I like the way he skates."

Andrew Ebbett makes his Hawks debut after being acquired from Anaheim on waivers last Saturday.
Ebbett will play left wing on the fourth line with Colin Fraser and Tomas Kopecky, but Quenneville didn't rule out using the skilled forward in other situations on the top two lines.

It's been four years since the Blackhawks made Jack Skille the seventh pick in the 2005 draft.
You remember that draft. It was the first one coming out of the lockout and because of the work stoppage every team was in a lottery for the first pick overall, which just happened to be Sidney Crosby's coming out year.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, of course, won the lottery for Crosby and have a Stanley Cup to show for it.
The Hawks took Skille, who may or may not figure into their future anymore.
It's not only Skille's $1.25 million salary cap hit that is keeping him out of the Hawks' lineup, as many would lead you to believe. Skille has yet to show that he is anything but a third-line winger at best. Good straight-ahead speed and a nice kid, but there's not much more to his game after that.

Whether the Blackhawks want to admit it or not, they have a big problem on their hands in goal with Cristobal Huet.
This is a team that appears to have most of the pieces in place to win a Stanley Cup except for the most important one.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville keeps reminding the media and the fans that it's early, but this is an issue that can't be ignored for too much longer.
Huet allowed 2 horrendous goals in Saturday's 4-3 loss to Dallas, a game the Hawks should have won. Huet spoke to reporters after the game and sounded like a goalie that has lost his confidence.
How can Quenneville continue to play Huet at home? The fans aren't stupid. They see poor play and don't like it. And for the prices they're paying ($5 for a small Coke?), they have every right to boo.

Not a lot of news from Saturday’s morning skate…

Cristobal Huet starts in goal against Dallas, as expected, and it looks as if Patrick Sharp is going to be off the left point on the first power play, to be replaced by Duncan Keith opposite Cam Barker.
Sharp was off the point on the second of two power plays in the second period of Thursday’s win at Nashville when the Hawks were trying to protect a lead.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville doesn’t mind Sharp at the point and isn’t opposed to using him there again.
“I think he’s been fine,” Quenneville said. “Whether he plays the point or up front (Saturday), I think that flexibility is something we can move in and out from that area. Having two different looks there is fine.

Marian Hossa skated Friday for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery on July 24.
While Hossa still isn't expected to play until late November, getting back on the ice was a big step in his rehab from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff.
"If I feel comfortable with the shoulder, I would like to maybe come back sooner, but that's only if I feel comfortable," Hossa said. "If I don't, I'd rather wait an extra week and make sure it's 100 percent right."
Hossa can only skate for now with little stick handling and no shooting. The Hawks will begin to incorporate some stick handling into Hossa's on-ice routine next week followed by some light shooting.