Morrison was ready for Hawks’ line juggling

In his first three games with the Blackhawks, Brendan Morrison centered three different lines.

And Tuesday against Colorado, he was at right wing on the fourth line.

Welcome to coach Joel Quenneville’s world.

“With Joel here, guys said to me you have to be ready to mix and match and be prepared to play with different guys, and that’s fine,” Morrison said. “You have to do that kind of wherever you are in your career.”

Morrison went into Tuesday’s game still searching for his first point with his new team.

“You want to do well,” Morrison said. “You don’t score the first few games on your new team and you start thinking you’re the problem.”

Morrison could be a player who eventually helps on the power play, particularly since he has experience playing the point, which has been a problem spot.

“I have played there,” Morrison said. “It’s been a couple years, but the whole time in Vancouver, like seven or eight years, I played on the point. In Washington, I played a little bit on the point, so I’m comfortable back there.”

Trade talk:

The Hawks continue to be linked in rumors to players such as defensemen Andy Sutton of Edmonton, Montreal’s Hal Gill and Tampa Bay’s Pavel Kubina as well as Carolina winger Tuomo Ruutu.

General manager Stan Bowman has made his desire to add a defenseman very public even though the Hawks are already carrying eight.

Adding anyone on the blue line would likely mean less playing time for either Steve Montador or Sean O’Donnell while pushing John Scott and Sami Lepisto even farther down the depth chart or off the roster.

The 40-year-old O’Donnell says the players hear the trade rumors and understand it’s part of playing for a contender this time of year.

“I think if you polled all GMs that feel like they have a chance they’re all looking for something, whether it’s a defenseman or forward,” O’Donnell said. “We all came here this year, we want to win a Cup. If that means we’re able to get someone to help us win, we’re all for it.

“You have to have pretty thick skin in this league, and if you listen to every rumor and everything that’s said it will get the best of you. You just roll with the punches and see what happens.”

Brunette returns:

After feeling good in the morning skate, Andrew Brunette was back in the lineup against the Avs a few hours later.

Brunette recovered quicker than anyone expected from the upper body injury he suffered last Thursday against Edmonton.

With Brunette returning, Bryan Bickell was a healthy scratch with John Scott and Sami Lepisto.