A quick learner, Hawks counting on Hjalmarsson

Niklas Hjalmarsson opened a lot of eyes last spring when he worked his way into the top four on defense during the Blackhawks' long playoff run as a rookie.

Now Hjalmarsson is picking up where he left off. The 22-year-old Swede has earned enough of coach Joel Quenneville's confidence to average 20 minutes of ice time after two games with that number likely to grow even bigger as the season progresses.

"He's got a real good feel for the game, his anticipation is high end, he's got a nice stick and his positioning is very good," Quenneville said. "He's progressed from last year to this year and we're comfortable with him in most situations, more so whether it's penalty killing or matching up.

"We expect him to keep getting better and better and he could turn into a special defenseman."

Hjalmarsson, who is partners with Brian Campbell, said Quenneville's confidence in him makes it easier to play his game.

"If the coach has a lot of confidence in you it affects you," Hjalmarsson. "I want to play as much as I can and keep going and help the team."

It's not easy being Campbell's partner because of the freedom Campbell has to take the puck and go.

"Nik's more a stay-at-home and Soupy's got a little more freedom to go and roam," Quenneville said. "That pair has been very good so far, getting more ice time and more quality ice time."

Hjalmarsson appeared in all 17 playoff games last spring after spending the majority of the year in the minors at Rockford. Hjalmarsson got an opportunity to play regularly when James Wisniewski was traded in March and he took advantage of it.

Hjalmarsson said the experience he gained in the playoffs is difficult to put into words.

"It's so tough to play in the playoffs, but now I know I can play regular games," Hjalmarsson said. "The biggest thing is to be consistent game after game. I try to keep it simple and play hard."

While Hawks defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook always will get the toughest defensive assignments, the emergence of Hjalmarsson could take pressure off them in the long run.

"He's come along great," Keith said. "He's got a great stick and he's smart and steady. I think those are the first few things you look for in a defenseman. You want to be solid defensively. Coming into training camp he's been good and he was good for us last year when he came up and in the playoffs."

Something Hjalmarsson has yet to show off on a consistent basis is his ability to hit in the open ice. He built a reputation for being a big hitter in Sweden and with Rockford, but it's tougher to find the right spots in the NHL.

"Hopefully I can show that a little bit here in the future," he said. "It's such a different game in the minors. They don't look at the puck up here. They always know where players are, and I don't want to try to hit someone and get out of position and create a 2-on-1 or something."

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