Savard ready if teams come after Kane

Patrick Kane makes his Blackhawks debut tonight at the United Center against Columbus, and coach Denis Savard isn't expecting to see anything less than what he has in training camp scrimmages from the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Kane has dazzled offensively, living up to his hype and then some along with fellow rookie Jonathan Toews.

"They've been phenomenal," Savard said.

The team that included Kane and Toews won the training-camp scrimmage tournament that ended Monday, going undefeated. Kane possesses the kind of offensive wizardry that could get long suffering Hawks fans excited again.

"Is he better than prospects camp? Yeah, he took it to another level," Savard said. "And I think he might have another level in him."

Kane didn't look small in scrimmages showed no fear in going into the high traffic scoring areas.

"He got bumped in the scrimmages along the corners and he's got such great balance and is so strong from the waste down, he's tough to knock off the puck," Savard said.

There are certain to be teams coming after Kane in the preseason, challenging the 18-year-old to show what he's got.

"I don't think it bothers him," Savard said. "This kid, at every level he's played, guys went after him. It's not like it's going to be new for him, but I'll make sure we have somebody in there if teams decide to take dirty runs at him. They'll have to pay the price the other way because we'll go after their best players, that's it."

Easy does it: As well as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been during training camp, all Denis Savard wants to see them do in the preseason is stick to playing their games.

"For those guys and our team, I want us to be structurally sound," Savard said. "I want them to play within the structure of the team. We have veteran players that have been here for a long time and they have to lead us. For now those kids, they have leadership in them, but I don't expect them to run this team from Day One."

Savard said he planned to play Kane along the half-wall on the power play tonight against the Blue Jackets.

Goalie roulette: Denis Savard plans to give his goaltenders full games in the preseason.

"I strongly believe that you prepare to play," Savard said. "I don't want them going in there cold."

Patrick Lalime played Tuesday in Columbus with Nikolai Khabibulin getting the net tonight against the Blue Jackets at the United Center. Corey Crawford is penciled in to start Thursday at home against Florida.

Five to juniors: The Hawks returned five players to their respective junior teams Tuesday, sending out forwards Akim Aliu, Maxime Tanguay and Richard Greenop, defenseman Ben Shutron and goaltender Josh Unice.

That leaves 49 players in camp with more cuts expected to be made by Saturday. Rockford starts its training camp Monday.