Karl Dykhuis, once a highly regarded defensive propect, probably will get another chance to put a brake on his sliding reputation Wednesday night against Edmonton.
Dykhuis has been recalled from the minors because of Chris Chelios’ pulled groin, suffered on the last shift of last Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Dykhuis was the Hawks’ first-round pick and 16th overall in 1990, but he’s been unable to win full-time work in the NHL.
Without Chelios and Steve Smith, who is expected to be serving the first game of an indefinite suspension, Dykhuis and the inexperienced Keith Carney probably will be pushed into blue-line duties.
Worth 1,000 words: Darryl Sutter hasn’t vowed to spend the rest of this eight-game trip in silence, but he has brought along a picture that will speak for him to the players when he isn’t in their ear.
A framed picture of two men pulling together on a rope in a tug-of-war hangs in the Hawks’ dressing room at the Stadium. Sutter had his trainers pack it with the uniforms and sticks to keep the symbol in front of his club in opponents’ arenas.
Older and wiser: Sutter has been critical of Savard and Doug Wilson’s contribution to the Hawks since they never won a championship. But he had praise for Savard from what he saw last week, including the center’s performance in a loss to the New York Rangers the night before the Hawks played the Lightning.
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“Savard’s probably a better player now than when he was 25,” Sutter said. “He’s more well-rounded. In the old days against Mark Messier (a Rangers center), Messier would have finished him off. But Savard was the best player on the ice in that Ranger game last week.”