Savard: Injuries took their toll on Ruutu

Blackhawks coach Denis Savard believes the many leg injuries Tuomo Ruutu had to battle through might have helped diminish his skills as an offensive player.

"Part of it is the injuries he's had over the years. His balance wasn't as good as it should have been, I thought," Savard said Wednesday, the day after Ruutu was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Andrew Ladd.

"For me, watching him play for a couple years, a lot of times he had complete possession of the puck and just fell down. I don't know if it's because of his knee or what, but I do know he gave everything he had."

Ruutu was never able to duplicate the numbers he put up as a rookie in 2003-04, when he scored 23 goals. When the Hawks traded him Tuesday he had become a fourth-line winger.

"I know you've asked me if he's a top-six forward, well, on this team he's not," Savard said. "We tended to think that because he was a first-rounder he had to be a top-three forward, but sometimes it doesn't work that way.

"Ruuty is a heart-and-soul kid who worked really hard, but he was a ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th forward. That's what I saw."

Ruutu had an assist in his Hurricanes debut Tuesday night and also dished out two huge hits. He didn't get to finish the game after getting cut on the face with a stick, a gash that required 40 stitches.

Lessons learned: Rookie Jonathan Toews, who will be the Hawks' next captain, won't forget what he learned from Martin Lapointe about being a leader and a professional.

"He wasn't getting as much ice time, but he never complained and still came to work every day and showed how professional he was as a person," Toews said. "I tried to tell him quickly before he had to go yesterday how much it meant to me and how much I learned from just watching him every day. He's a special guy and we're going to miss him here in our locker room."

General manager Dale Tallon offered Lapointe a position in the organization if he wanted to retire after this season, but the 34-year-old veteran turned it down.

"I know Dale and him had a conversation, but he wants to keep playing," Denis Savard said. "Obviously, we lost a guy who put his heart and soul into the team for quite a few years."

Tip-ins: When Andrew Ladd arrived Tuesday night it was the first time he had ever been to Chicago. "This is the only rink I've never played in," Ladd said. … Nikolai Khabibulin and Robert Lang, sidelined with sore backs, won't skate before Saturday.

Tonight's faceoff

Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center, 7:30 p.m.

TV: Comcast SportsNet

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

The skinny: There isn't a hotter team in the NHL than Dallas, which has won 12 of its last 14 games to pull within 5 points of slumping Detroit in the Western Conference standings. The Stars figure to be even stronger after picking up Brad Richards at the trade deadline. Winger Loui Eriksson has 5 goals in his last three games playing on the top line with Mike Ribeiro and Brendan Morrow. The Hawks lead the season series 2-1, that includes a 5-4 win on Halloween in Dallas.

Player to watch: Brad Richards. The veteran center makes his debut with the Stars after being acquired from Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Next: Vancouver Canucks at the United Center, 2 p.m. Sunday.

-- Tim Sassone