Chicago Blackhawks: One Way or Another, Expect New Faces on Defense

The Chicago Blackhawks have some decisions to make on defense, and they have little time in which to make them.

Expect at least a couple of new faces in Minnesota Monday night.

You'd think a team that just locked up a key defensive piece like Brent Seabrook and now have their top four blue liners signed for the next few years would have some stability at the position. However, consider the following:

1. Nick Boynton was claimed by the Flyers Saturday night, leaving the Hawks with six true defensemen on the roster (note: John Scott is not an option at defense. He can't play defense. Scott pairing up on the blue line is a white flag waving in the wind. I figured we all know that, but I feel it had to be said out loud once before moving on).

2. Jordan Hendry looks as if he is going to miss at least a few games, possibly a lot more.  Now we're down to five defensemen.

3. Niklas Hjalmarsson is nursing a sore hand and was a surprise starter in Sunday night's 4-3 shootout victory over Phoenix.

4. Duncan Keith was fortunate to come out of this game with his right foot intact after a nasty looking incident in the third period with the Coyotes. He stayed in the game, but it had a similar look to the kind of injury Patrick Kane suffered last month. Let's hope it was just a close call.

For the moment, it appears that the Blackhawks are shorthanded and a bit banged up on defense—not the way you want to try to extend a winning streak on the road.

Assuming the Hawks waived Boynton in order to make room on the roster for another player, I would think that GM Stan Bowman is working the phones trying to bring in the defenseman he has coveted for the last few weeks. Hendry's absence complicates matters a bit.

Bowman can't really afford to bring in two defensemen outside the organization. He may run out of time to even bring in one player. This leaves us with a couple of options.

Option A: Bowman pulls off a miracle and brings in two low-cost upgrades to fill the sixth and seventh defense spots.Say goodbye to at least one current player (Viktor Stalberg?) and some of our draft picks.

Option B: Bowman gets one of the guys he's kicked the tires on (Matt Hunwick, Ladislav Smid, Brett Clark) and fills Hendry's spot with a call up from Rockford.

Option C: Bowman fails to close a deal on a defenseman and we see two Ice Hogs in the lineup against the Wild.

Maybe Hendry turns out to be fine, but right now I'm looking at two spots open that need addressing.

Here are the pickings down Rockford way:

Garnet Exelby: I think he's the first Ice Hog up. He plays a similar game to Boynton, but I think he makes better decisions. Not a bad guy to bring into the locker room, having worn the "C" in Rockford most of the season. He has six seasons of NHL experience, so it's not his first time around the block.

Chicago signed him to a contract in November after a tryout period. I would think that this is just the type of situation for which they signed him. He'll make the league minimum, making it easier for Bowman to make the numbers work.

Jassen Cullimore: Normally I would be calling for Cullimore to be called up, and I'm sure the Hawks would love to do that. After all, he was up with the team for three months and was steady if not spectacular.

However, Cullimore has been out of the lineup for over a week. We may see him up at some point, but probably not in the next few days. If healthy, Cullimore provides some of the depth we need right now.

Brian Connelly: This guy is third in points in Rockford and is our best option right now after Exelby. Connelly doesn't seem to fit into Chicago's plans in the future with Dylan Olsen and Shawn Lalonde in the wings, but I tell you that he is a better option than either of them right now.

He can play in the NHL. Bowman could bring him up or toss him into a trade before the deadline. Connelly could be a factor in any defensive additions, either directly or indirectly.

The new faces may come here from I-90, an NHL team, or both. Look for at least one addition to the Hawks in the next few hours.