Hawks say everything to be sorted out at camp

At some point during this weekend’s three-day Blackawks convention at the Hilton Chicago, coach Joel Quenneville and general manager Stan Bowman will be asked about line combinations and defense pairings for the coming season.

The answer is certain to be … that all will be decided at training camp.

We already know that both Quenneville and Bowman see Patrick Sharp as the second-line center, barring a trade between now and October.

But where does Viktor Stalberg fit in now that he has signed a new two-year contract?

Is Rostislav Olesz a third-line grinder or somebody who can play on the top two lines?

If Sharp is a center, will Andrew Brunette be slotted into the coveted spot at left wing on the first line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane?

Who skates with Dave Bolland on the third line? Michael Frolik and Bryan Bickell?

Bowman was asked this week about Stalberg and if he was considered a fourth-line banger, perhaps slotted to play with Jamal Mayers and Dan Carcillo, or a top-nine forward.

“That’s what training camp is for, to sort all that out,” Bowman said. “If you try to slot guys into lines in July, so much changes from that first couple days of training camp in terms of guys surprising you in a good way, or some guys might disappoint you, or some guys might get hurt.

“We can sit here and map out lines right now, but we’re going to have new players at camp that haven’t been through our system before and the coaches will get to see firsthand what they can do.”

Bowman called Olesz a guy who needs a fresh start after disappointing in Florida in the years since being the seventh player taken in the draft.

On the flip side, Quenneville knows all about Brunette and what he can do from coaching him in Colorado.

Brunette turns 38 next month, but the Hawks believe he still has special offensive skills.

“He’s got a great knack around the net,” Quenneville said. “We have some guys that can really makes plays, and Brunette is going to be one of them. He really has instincts in that area.

“His skating, at this stage, is something you might have to go, ‘Come on Bruno,’ but his instincts are high end and his anticipation is high end as well. He’ll definitely be an aid on our power play and on offense as well.”

It appears to be a top four on defense of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Steve Montador, with Nick Leddy, Chris Campoli (assuming he signs) and Sean O’Donnell supplying the depth.

“You can put John Scott in there as eight, too,” Quenneville said. “That’s a healthy situation to be in. You look at Vancouver and they needed to go eight, nine, 10 deep in the playoffs. You can get exposed quickly. You never have enough defensemen.

“Everybody probably has the lines made up in their minds, but we have a lot of options as far as who is going to play with who. Usually by the end of camp the decisions will be made for us by how they play.”

On with the show:All the Hawks stars will be on hand for the convention, according to the club.Frolik was a late addition Thursday even though he remains unsigned, which may or may not mean the two sides are closing in on a contract agreement.Campoli and Carcillo are not on the list of players scheduled to attend the three-day event.Among the alumni ready to appear over the weekend are Hall of Famers Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Glenn Hall, Denis Savard, Pierre Pilote, Tony Esposito and Michel Goulet.tsassone@dailyherald.com