Between the Circles

In a stunning development Wednesday morning, at least one source has confirmed the Hawks are in serious talks with free-agent winger Marian Hossa and may be close to signing him away from the Red Wings.
The deal could be for as many as 10 years with an average cap hit of $5 million.
A Hossa signing would mean the Hawks have parted ways with Martin Havlat.
Finding the money to pay Hossa also could mean GM Dale Tallon thinks he can trade goalie Cristobal Huet.
The 30-year-old Hossa had 40 goals and 71 points for Detroit last season, which is 11 more goals than Havlat.

It was clear late Tuesday night that Hawks GM Dale Tallon hoped to re-sign both Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin before they became unrestricted free agents at noon on Wednesday.
The serious interest in bringing back Khabibulin was a pretty strong indicator that Tallon was actively trying to trade goalie Cristobal Huet and the three years and more than $16 million he has left on his contract.
Two teams that need goaltenders – Edmonton and Colorado – were believed to be at least listening to what Tallon was offering. Could defenseman Cam Barker be part of a package with Huet? The Oilers are believed to have some interest in Barker.

How good would Chris Pronger have looked on the Hawks’ defense next season?
Pronger was traded on Friday from Anaheim to Philadelphia with a prospect for defenseman Luca Sbisa, forward Joffrey Lupul, two first-round draft picks and a conditional third-rounder.
Hawks GM Dale Tallon said he called the Ducks’ Bob Murray to see what it would take to get Pronger and the price was too much.
"We talked and the price was a little too stiff for us to pay," Tallon said. "It would have been some good prospects and some players off our roster. We weren't willing to overpay for him. We like him and he's a great player, but we want to make a commitment to our core players."
That’s fine, but then Tallon said, “Philadelphia obviously feels they’re close.”

Let's hope Hawks GM Dale Tallon is just trying to say the right things when he is asked about the team's possible interest in Chris Chelios.
Tallon said he might call Chelios when free agency starts, but do the Hawks really need to add a 47-year-old defenseman to what already is a very good blue line? No, they don't.
The Hawks do need a defenseman, but it should be a big, physical, stay-at-home guy such as Francois Beauchemin.
Chelios wanted out of town 10 years ago when things were turning bad. Now the Hawks are Stanley Cup contenders and they should be thinking about getting better and taking the next step, not bringing back former greats who are way past their prime.
I like Cheli a lot, and he would come cheap, but it's best he goes and plays somewhere else.

It has been more than a week since Hawks GM Dale Tallon resumed contract negotiations with Martin Havlat's agent.
Is progress being made? Nobody is saying.
I thought this might get done quickly since both sides sounded so eager for it to happen, but the longer it goes on the better the chances Havlat hits the open market as a free agent on July 1.
While the Hawks want Havlat back, it looks like it has to be on their terms, which might mean less than the $6 million he earned in each of the last three seasons. Does Havlat want a long-term deal? Do the Hawks want to go shorter? It's all speculation right now.
Perhaps there will be movement soon with the Hawks having completed their organizational meetings on Thursday.

DETROIT - Like them or hate them, the Red Wings are a great hockey team.
The Hawks didn't play badly in four of the five games, but Detroit's depth, transition game and attention to team defense was really something to appreciate.
The Hawks will get there someday, with a few tweaks here and there, particularly on defense, where there are question marks behind Keith, Seabrook and Campbell. You held your breath in this series every time Keith and Seabrook left the ice and, sure enough, Walker and Barker looked lost on the winning goal in overtime.
The Red Wings always seemed to have the puck in the series because the Hawks were way too careless with it.

DETROIT - There was a tiny bit of hope Marty Havlat could play tonight in Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena, but he won't.
Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin both will miss the elimination game - Havlat with concussion-like symptoms from the Niklas Kronwall hit in Game 3 and Khabibulin with a groin problem.
However, the Red Wings won't have defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom or center Pavel Datsyuk either.
Lidstrom will sit for the second straight game with a lower body injury while Datsyuk is out for the third game in a row with a foot injury.
The Red Wings didn't miss either player in Sunday's 6-1 rout at the United Center, but maybe they will tonight against a desperate Hawks team.

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville didn't rule out Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin playing Wednesday in Game 5 at Detroit, but it doesn't look good - particularly for Khabibulin.
Neither player practiced Tuesday morning at the United Center but both accompanied the team to Detroit.
"We'll have a better assessment (Wednesday)," Quenneville said.
It would appear Havlat has a better chance of playing than Khabibulin, which means Cristobal Huet would get his second straight start.
Khabibulin has either a groin or leg injury and he never has been the quickest healer.
Patrick Sharp skated at right wing in Havlat's spot at practice Tuesday with Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd.
The first line was Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien.

The Blackhawks have so many terrific pieces in place for a long run as one of the NHL's elite team.
But for anyone who dreams of the day when the commissioner places the Stanley Cup into the arms of captain Jonathan Toews, I have one question: When you have that dream, who is the goalie?
Following Sunday's embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Red Wings at the United Center, the Hawks are one more loss away from what should be an interesting off-season.
Maybe the biggest question of all is what does GM Dale Tallon do in goal? Cristobal Huet is signed for three more years at $5 million-plus while Nikolai Khabibulin will be an unrestricted free agent.

Red Wings all-star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was a late scratch Sunday afternoon for Game 4 because of a lower body injury.
Lidstrom skated Saturday, but it was reported he suffered some sort of injury late in game 3 on Friday.
Marty Havlat was in the Hawks' lineup despite the crunching hit he took from Niklas Kronwall in Game 3.
Nikolai Khabibulin did not dress. Cristobal Huet started in goal for the Hawks with Corey Crawford as the backup.
Pavel Datsyuk missed his second straight game for the Red Wings with a foot injury.
Chris Chelios took Lidstrom's spot in the Detroit lineup.