These five Hawks need to shine

Here are five Blackhawks who need to make a difference this season:

1. Nikolai Khabibulin

Now in the third year of his franchise record four-year, $27 million contract, the Hawks haven't got their money's worth from the veteran goaltender to this point.

Now with a better team in front of him, Khabibulin needs to be one of the NHL's elite goalies if the Hawks are going to sneak into the playoffs.

"Every season you start from scratch," Khabibulin said. "We want to take steps in the right direction. I don't want to (be) unrealistic -- we all want to win the Stanley Cup -- but we realize we have to take steps. As long as we're moving forward.

"On paper, we got a lot better now. I guess we'll find out when we start playing."

2. Brent Seabrook

He's as close as it gets to the Hawks having a No. 1 defenseman. Seabrook must be at his best every night because he's going to be matched up against the likes of Joe Thornton, Mike Modano, Henrik Zetterberg and Joe Sakic, shift after shift after shift.

"I want to be very consistent and contribute more offensively," Seabrook said. "At the same time, I want to be solid on my own zone and not give up much.

"You can do both. The best defensemen in the league, Nicklas Lidstrom, (Chris) Pronger, Scott Niedermayer -- those kind of guys, they play the offensive part, are among the leading scorers year in and year out and have the best plus-minus and are always the best in their own zone."

3. Yanic Perreault

He's the best faceoff man in hockey and must continue to be that if the Hawks are going to improve defensively and on the power play. Perreault is a pro's pro who has the potential to score 30 goals, considering he is going to be used in all situations.

"I'm doing the same thing I try to do every day, be strong on my faceoffs and bring a little bit of offense and try to be reliable in my own end," Perreault said. "I'll try to do as much as I can when they put me out there on the power play. I'm glad to be here, and hopefully I can help this team."

4. Jonathan Toews

The Hawks are worried about putting too much pressure on the rookie, but Toews has demonstrated the potential to be a special player. He has the ability to slow the game down, dangle, create space for himself and find the open teammate. The Hawks haven't had a player who could do that for a long, long time.

"He already (is a leader) in a sense, but we want him just to play now," coach Denis Savard said. "The way he competes, the way he practices, he takes care of every little detail on the ice in practices and games. And just his will is something that you can't teach."

5. Rene Bourque

This might be the left winger's last chance with the Hawks to show that he can be an impact player in the NHL. Bourque battled injuries most of last year, preventing him from being the kind of power forward the Hawks need and want him to be.

"I want him to be a physical player and a guy who is going to drive to the net without the puck," Savard said. "One thing he does well is he's very good at protecting the puck down low, moving his feet when in the pinch you need to do that.

"He has to be a physical player for us when it's there. He has to go to the net, stop in front. The type of player he is, he should get 6 or 7 tip-in goals."