Havlat just taking it one day at a time

Martin Havlat is living for the moment and nothing else.

Perhaps no other player on the Blackhawks has a future more uncertain than the 27-year-old Havlat.

His name continues to be mentioned in trade rumors that only figure to grow louder ahead of the March 4 deadline.

And then there's Havlat's impending unrestricted free agency. If the Hawks do decide to ride it out the rest of the season with Havlat, it's almost certain he won't be back in 2009-10 with the $6 million he earns freed up for general manager Dale Tallon to spend elsewhere.

Havlat plans to worry about all that later. His immediate goal is to help the Hawks keep winning into the playoffs as one of their key offensive threats.

"I'm taking everything game by game," Havlat said. "I just want to play hockey. I've missed a lot of hockey here the last years and I just want to play. That other stuff is just not up to me."

Havlat has turned it on of late with 8 points in the last five games. He has 31 points in 36 games, including 11 goals, and has been at his best since being moved to the so-called third line with Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd that has proved to be every bit as dangerous as the top two lines.

"He's a pretty sick player with his vision and what he can do with the puck," Bolland said of Havlat. "For us having him on our line brings that extra level of skill to our line. I think we've been clicking pretty well.

"We don't care that people call us, the third line or who's first, second, third our fourth. It's whoever is playing well that night and who's dominant."

Havlat came into the year as one of the Hawks' biggest question marks because of a third shoulder surgery that ended his 2007-08 season after just 35 games. So far Havlat's shoulder has held up fine, and the Hawks are knocking on wood that the veteran's good health continues.

"I think he's playing his best hockey right now," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said Monday. "He's been very good the last six, seven, eight games, and that line has been very consistent. He gives them a threat offensively. He's got good patience with the puck and he has some confidence right now.

"He's one of those high-end players that if they get that offense and confidence and are comfortable in the scoring area, their production can take off, and we've seen it recently. He's been more effective scoring-wise, but at the same time his overall game is where we'd like it to be."

Havlat prefers not to think about his first two seasons with the Hawks that were mostly disappointing because of injuries.

"This year my focus has been to stay healthy and help this team win," Havlat said. "I missed the playoffs the last two years, and not having the chance to play for the Cup is probably the worst feeling in hockey. That's where the real hockey season starts right there."

Havlat admits he is inspired by the energy from his young teammates that surrounds him in the dressing room.

"When the team is playing well everything is much easier for everybody coming to the rink and having fun on the road with the guys," Havlat said. "This has been the best year for sure since I got here.

"We've got a lot of skilled young guys that are only going to get better and better every year, so I think there's big potential with this team. It's been a special start to the season so far."

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