Bigger roles for a few Hawks with Buff and Eager gone

This much is certain with regard to the Blackhawks following the trade of Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager to Atlanta: the Hawks are smaller and less physical than they were the night they hoisted the Stanley Cup in Philadelphia.

General manager Stan Bowman reeled off the names of Tomas Kopecky, Bryan Bickell, Jack Skille and Jake Dowell as players he expects to contribute toughness, and there could be some acquisitions to come.

"We're going to have to look at the free-agent market and trades as well," Bowman said. "We are going to have to address that, but first and foremost you have to be able to play the game."

Bowman believes Dowell can be the fourth-line center in 2010-11, an opinion he backed up on Thursday by trading the rights to restricted free-agent center Colin Fraser to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a sixth-round pick in this weekend's draft.

"I think we'll have Jake Dowell in our lineup," Bowman said. "He's certainly going to get a chance to play on our team. He brings a lot of that rugged play as well."

With Byfuglien and Eager gone, Bowman sees bigger roles for Kopecky and Bickell in particular.

"We're going to have to have some guys from within who emerge and play some bigger roles," Bowman said. "We kind of saw that maybe even emerge as the year went on. A guy like Kopecky, who most of the year was on the fourth line and even in and out of the lineup a little but. By the end of the playoffs he was playing on the top line. He's a big, strong physical guy who goes to the net."

The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Bickell played well every time he was brought up from Rockford to fill a roster spot.

"I don't know that you want to say there's one guy that's going to replicate what Buff did," Bowman said. "We saw a little bit of Bryan Bickell this year in terms of his ability to be a big body out there.

"He's a big guy like Buff, he's got some skill, and can skate. He just is younger and hasn't maybe had the opportunity yet. We're hoping he can play a bigger role next year."

Considering their salary cap issues, it's difficult to imagine the Hawks being too active in the free-agent market come July 1, but there are some physical players available such as forwards Colby Armstrong and Raffi Torres, along with defenseman John Scott.

There are also three enforcer-type free agents about to hit the open market including NHL penalty-minutes leader Zenon Konopka, Derek Boogaard and Raitis Ivanans.

Bowman stressed, however, that anyone the Hawks acquire has to be able to play the game. Armstrong is a big hitter who had 15 goals for the Thrashers.

"Buff was unique in having that mixture of physical and the ability to play," Bowman said. "He was a big guy, but first and foremost he was a pretty talented player."