Low road a logical one for selfish Havlat

Poor Marty Havlat.

How sad for him that he didn't feel the love from Blackhawks management, which paid him $18 million -- sight unseen -- for three years when he arrived, mostly to sit around and milk injuries while becoming a fabulous clubhouse lawyer.

Seriously, you have to love the fact that Havlat is ripping the Hawks for a lack of loyalty.

This is the same player who was essentially called selfish, gutless and careless by Marty Lapointe - the most respected player in the room - in December 2007, when Lapointe nearly ripped the shirt off Havlat in a dressing room confrontation that one player told me was the scariest thing he'd ever seen in a locker room.

Lapointe, who's as tough as they come, threw Havlat around like a rag doll, and could have destroyed him had he thought Havlat worth even one punch.

Havlat played for Havlat and no one but Havlat, and it's one of the reasons he didn't care much to be on the ice in Chicago until his last season here, when he needed a new contract. Only a fool would think it a coincidence that suddenly this season he was willing to play hurt.

The Hawks got a better player in Marian Hossa and a much better teammate, and the only thing the Hawks have to be sorry about is that they didn't trade Havlat when they could have gotten something in return.

Dale Tallon has absolutely no reason to apologize to Havlat. If anything, he ought to be asking for some of his money back, like about $9 million.

Oh, well. Havlat is Minnesota's $30 million problem now.

Team MVP

Havlat's agent whined about the Hawks not taking care of the team MVP.

I don't really see the issue since Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Andrew Ladd were the Hawks' best players last season, and they're all currently under contract.

Case for defense

The Hawks' defense was suspect going into the Detroit series and still is, with only Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook able to move their feet with the Red Wings' best offensive players.

On the other hand, they did get better defensively up front with the additions of Hossa, Tomas Kopecky and John Madden, and that will help the defense.

Asset management

How does the decision look now to hold onto Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin last season?

Not only did the Hawks fail to win the Stanley Cup, but they failed to get anything in return for two solid assets.

They also moved James Wisniewski - whom they dearly missed in the playoffs - when they realized they couldn't sign him due to self-induced cap problems.

But they got in return another unsignable player, Sammy Pahlsson, so that's three valuable players and nothing to show for them.

Asset management is a huge part of the game today, and the Hawks passed on the chance to collect a couple good, young and inexpensive players who might have helped them in the future and with their cap situation.

Madden 2010

You can never have enough character guys, and John Madden certainly brings that, along with rings on his fingers and a defensive specialty that replaces Sammy Pahlsson.

Cap space

Ottawa still wants to dump Dany Heatley, and the Hawks can still help them.

They already tried to send Brian Campbell to the Sens and they ought to try again.

And while Patrick Sharp has been productive, Joel Quenneville sometimes seemed less than enthralled with Sharp, and at $4 million, you wonder if he's on the block.

Dustin Byfuglien ($3 million) is the classic sell-high player if there ever was one, and you have to think many of the role players are going to be replaced by younger and cheaper versions.

So if they're creative, there might still be a way out of this cap mess.

On the Beach

Dale Tallon told me during the playoffs that he believes Kyle Beach will be able to help soon, but he recognizes that Beach needs to grow up fast.

Beach has had trouble everywhere he's been throughout his young life, and sometimes trouble with teammates, including in Rockford a few months ago when he tangled verbally with Akim Aliu. They were both kicked off the team and sent home for the summer.

The Hawks need a legit tough guy like Beach who can fight and score, but it defeats the purpose if he's disliked in the room or if he paints a target on teammates' backs through his actions on the ice.

He's exactly what the Hawks need and at the right price, if he can behave himself.

Safety first

I was a big fan of the Craig Steltz pick and thought he'd move in quickly at safety for the Bears, and for now he appears to be the starter. But it's hard to imagine Steltz on the field with Kevin Payne, and it feels like only a matter of time before Corey Graham takes over for Steltz.

Short stops

Is it just me or does Alexei Ramirez want nothing to do with contact around second base? He seems to try everything imaginable to avoid runners bearing down on him, especially while turning two.

Spending spree

E-mailer Mike in Oak Lawn: "Marian Hossa is a good addition, but does this mean the Hawks can still sign Mark DeRosa when he hits the market?''

And finally

E-mailer T.W. in Villa Park: "These are confusing times. With the temperatures in the 60s, and the way the Cubs are losing, it sure feels like October.''