With Campbell out, door open for rookie Leddy

Nick Leddy couldn't have imagined this when he decided not to return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore year.

With Brian Campbell expected to miss the next four to five weeks with a sprained right knee, the 19-year-old Leddy will start the season playing in the top six on defense for the Stanley Cup champions.

"It was a good decision, I guess," Leddy said Saturday.

Leddy might have made the team anyway even before Campbell hurt his knee in Friday's preseason win over Pittsburgh. Leddy's heady play and poise has jumped out at the Hawks ever since prospects camp in July, after which general manager Stan Bowman approached him about signing a contract.

"It's a big jump from college, but you really like how he has that feel, which goes hand in hand with poise," Hawks head coach Joel Quenneville said.

The loss of Campbell until November splits up the Hawks' No. 2 defense pairing. Quenneville will use Sunday night's last preseason game against St. Louis at the United Center as an opportunity to see how Leddy looks with Niklas Hjalmarsson.

"We might try that pair together as a unit and see how they handle it, but that's an option," Quenneville said.

"Somebody obviously has a chance to play and grab minutes as well, and I think Nick Leddy is one guy that certainly helped himself as he progressed here. He's still a young kid and we'll still keep an eye on him, but he's one guy that certainly could get a chance.

"With young guys you still have to keep an eye on him, particularly as a defenseman. He's absorbed a lot as he's gone through this camp, and at this stage of his career that's a good sign that he's receptive and applies it correctly."

The Hawks still have eight healthy defensemen in camp including veteran Jassen Cullimore, who could stick around for Thursday's opener at Colorado since Nick Boynton will be serving his one-game suspension.

Leddy isn't taking for granted he has a spot assured.

"I'll just keep playing my game and we'll see what happens," Leddy said. "It's still a tryout so I'll keep worrying about playing my game. Nobody has told me anything."

All signs point to the Hawks starting the season with two 19-year-old rookies on the roster in Leddy and winger Jeremy Morin.

Quenneville said Morin again would play on the second line against the Blues with Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane.

The Hawks were thankful Campbell's injury wasn't more serious and that no surgery is necessary.

"If you get the ACL in there, then all of a sudden it's a different kind of damage," Quenneville said.

The Hawks proved last year on their way to winning the Stanley Cup that they could overcome injuries. They were without Marian Hossa for 25 games in the regular season, Dave Bolland for 43 games and Adam Burish for most of the year.

"You look around the league and there's a lot of guys injured on different teams. That's all part of it," Quenneville said. "You're going to have it at every stretch of the season. There's no good timing for injuries.

"Last year we started the season without Hossa, and Bolland was hurt. Our depth will always get tested and challenged. Hopefully we've got guys who can step in and provide quality play. This is a good test for us right off the start."