Before Saturday night’s 2-2 tie against the Los Angeles Kings, Blackhawks General Manager Mike Smith said he hoped to make a deal before Tuesday’s NHL trade deadline.
But Smith added “it won’t be a big one.”
Bob Probert provided a big one in the third period–goal, that is–beating Felix Potvin for the tying goal with 3 minutes 52 seconds remaining which earned the Hawks a point, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. They trail eighth-place Edmonton by 11 points in the Western Conference with 13 games remaining.
Eric Belanger had given Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at 10:23 of the third with a short-handed goal.
Steve Passmore made his first start in goal for the Hawks since being reacquired by the team on Feb. 28 from the Kings, and he stopped 23 shots.
One or more of the Hawks’ nine defensemen seem most likely to leave via a trade.
Before Jamie Allison went on the injured list with a slight tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, sustained Feb. 10 in San Jose, the Ottawa Senators were rumored to be interested. Allison came off the injured list and played Saturday. He missed 13 games because of the injury but resumed full-scale practice earlier in the week.
“I’ve been here three years, I think the team is headed in the right direction and I’d love to stay,” said Allison. “But I don’t know what will happen.”
Another anxious defenseman is Kevin Dean, who was a healthy scratch Friday night when the Hawks lost 3-1 in Anaheim.
Defenseman Steve Poapst came to the Hawks as a free agent, let go by Washington, and began the season with the Norfolk farm team. But the veteran was promoted in the second half of the season and has been a solid addition. He contributed two goals in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory in Dallas and went into Saturday’s game with a plus/minus rating of plus-8.
“I was just happy to come to a new organization,” said Poapst. “I was having a great season in Norfolk and coming to Chicago has been like a rejuvenation. I’m being put into situations when the game is on the line, and my confidence level is high.
“There has been a lot of speculation [regarding trades]. … I just go out and play.”
One defenseman who appears to be immune from a trade is rookie Steve McCarthy.
He has had an up-and-down season, but coach Alpo Suhonen loves what he has seen since Feb. 11 when McCarthy began playing regularly.
“The difference now is he is playing like he belongs here,” said Suhonen. “He is showing me that he is going to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL in the next 10 years.”