Hawks won't have much time to grasp Savard's changes

Playing more of a puck-possession game isn't the only change coach Denis Savard has in store for the Blackhawks.

"I feel with the changes we made over the summer that we're going to be able to do a lot more stuff," Savard said. "It's a different team than last year.

"We're going to emphasize puck possession, but we're going to change a lot of stuff. Our forecheck is going to be a little more under control. We still want to be aggressive, but we want to play smart. The neutral zone is going to be changed, and we're going to change our defensive zone coverage.

"There's a lot we want to accomplish here."

Savard admits the Hawks weren't very good along the boards last season.

"I strongly believe that along the walls last year was one of our weaknesses," Savard said. "Our wingers have to be able to make plays at this level. You've got to have some will (and) be able to stand the pressure that's coming from behind by holding on to the puck."

There isn't a lot of time for Savard to implement his new systems with the exhibition opener Tuesday at Columbus and the first game of the regular season Oct. 4 at Minnesota.

"We've got three weeks and a lot of things to work on, a lot of new systems," said winger Martin Havlat, who is looking forward to the new puck-possession game. "It's always more fun to play with the puck if you can. I think we have more skill players on the team, so we're going to be able to do it."

Savard knows what kind of identity he wants the Hawks to establish.

"Our identity is we're going to be a fast team," Savard said. "We're going to get to loose pucks and create a lot of opportunities below the circles offensively because of the skill level that we have up front.

"We're going to be aggressive, but we're going to be a smart team. We're not going to give up chances left and right. I believe the patience we're going to have with the offense that we have up front, it's going to be good stuff."

Tough break: Niklas Hjalmarsson's wrist injury was met with disappointment by the Hawks, who were hoping to see if the rookie defenseman could crack the top seven.

Hjalmarsson is expected to be sidelined at least four weeks with what is believed to be a small fracture.

That would appear to leave Cam Barker, Dan Richmond, Dustin Byfuglien and Magnus Johansson to battle for two jobs on defense behind Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Jim Vandermeer, James Wisniewski and Andrei Zyuzin.

Sizing it up: Rookie Patrick Kane, who at 6-feet and 170 pounds has had his size brought into question ever since being drafted first overall, hasn't even looked like the smallest player on the ice so far at training camp.

"I don't pay any attention to that," Denis Savard said. "Like I've said, you won't have to worry about his size, trust me. I've been there."

At 5-10 and 167 pounds, Savard scored 75 points as a rookie in 1980-81.