Johnson returns; Barker sits with injury
Defenseman Aaron Johnson, one of the unsung heroes of the first half of the season for the Blackhawks, returned to the lineup Friday after missing 11 games with an upper body injury.
Johnson was a team-best plus-13 in 18 games when he was slammed into the boards by San Jose's Mike Grier on Nov. 25 in a loss to the Sharks at HP Pavilion.
Johnson's return only adds to the logjam on defense, with the Hawks now carrying eight on the roster.
Cam Barker and Brent Sopel were scratched Friday against the Flyers at the United Center with the Hawks claiming Barker had a lower body injury.
Barker has 17 points in 23 games and is minus-5, but the biggest number working against him is his $2.4 million salary-cap hit.
Sopel has a $2.5 million cap hit.
Barker could be sent to Rockford without clearing waivers since he still is on his entry-level contract. Sopel would need to clear waivers to be sent down.
True or false? The Internet is hot with trade rumors, at least one claiming the Hawks still are looking to move Martin Havlat.
One rumor said the Hawks would like to deal Havlat to clear money for their pursuit of Ottawa center Jason Spezza.
Whatever team gets the available Spezza - and Edmonton is believed to be the most serious - might have to give up a puck-moving defenseman and a top-six forward, which is said to be Senators general manager Bryan Murray's asking price.
The Senators are desperate for a shakeup, having dropped to 12th in the Eastern Conference.
The 25-year-old Spezza has a big personal price tag, signed through 2012-13 at $8 million per season with a $7 million cap hit.
Goal getter: Who would have thought that Philadelphia's Jeff Carter and not Alex Ovechkin or Jarome Iginla would be leading the NHL in goals at Christmas?
Carter took 26 goals into Friday's game against the Hawks, which led the league by 2 over Buffalo's Thomas Vanek.
"I always knew I could score," Carter said. "This year, I just started to play with a lot of confidence right off the bat, which has helped me. I've been getting some bounces and have good linemates. Things are going well."