Could Khabibulin, Havlat and others stay? It's possible

A lot of general managers would have moved their unrestricted free agents before the trade deadline.

Unsure if they can be inked, some GMs choose to get assets in return, fearing their loss for nothing in a cap system that penalizes those who don't plan ahead and maximize value.

Dale Tallon thought about it a lot.

"I think we all agonize over it,'' Tallon said, nodding in agreement. "I thought long and hard about how to best manage those assets.

"Of course I thought about moving some (players) that now I'm glad I didn't.''

In the din of the Hawks' locker room celebration late Monday night, Tallon admitted he had some sleepless nights while deciding what to do with a couple veteran players headed toward big paydays in free agency.

"Take a guy like (Nikolai) Khabibulin,'' Tallon said. "He's an asset and that's why we thought about moving him.

"Maybe that would have been the right thing to do, and I can't argue with that philosophy, but as of right now, I'm glad it never came to fruition as we live here in the moment.

"You don't know when your opportunity is going to come.''

And, interestingly, as the Hawks continue to advance, it might be changing Tallon's mind about certain players he had no intention of keeping.

"That's true. It does change things,'' Tallon said of the last couple weeks. "People prove things to you. As we win more, we think more about who's here now and what it means for the future.''

That's good because with every game the Hawks win, the more the fans will insist the Hawks bring back both Khabibulin and Martin Havlat.

"I'd love to keep Sammy (Pahlsson), too. I'd love to stand here now and say we're going to keep everyone,'' Tallon said, as he looked around at a happy dressing room. "The reality is we'll try to keep them together as best we can and keep as many as we can.

"The problem isn't next year. The problem is the year after that when we have (Duncan) Keith and the kids (Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane) up.''

So for any of the current free agents to stay, the contracts would have to be lengthy and front-loaded, thoughts that travel through Tallon's mind during each and every game, after each and every whistle.

Every result in the playoffs affects his planning, whether a win or a loss.

"It has that effect,'' Tallon said. "We're doing that every day, thinking about the puzzle and we're looking at the pieces all the time.

"You do that in your head. 'What if this happens? What if that happens? What if this guys stays? What if that guy goes?'

"We have some other assets coming. We'd like to try to keep this group together. If we can, great. If not, we have other assets that will help us.''

It wasn't that many months ago that Khabibulin couldn't find a job.

He wasn't wanted in the NHL or even in Russia.

Now, Khabibulin is looking to score another big free-agent contract.

But before that happens, Tallon wants another shot at him.

"The great thing is our goalies here get along great, and that doesn't always happen,'' Tallon said. "You have to give (Cristobal) Huet a lot of credit for being the kind of guy he is or this wouldn't have worked for us.

"If they didn't get along, or they made each other miserable, which does happen in some cases, we would have had to move someone.''

Instead, Khabibulin stayed put and the Hawks are halfway to a Stanley Cup.

Winning a couple playoff series changes minds and perceptions. It's the kind of thing that makes the unthinkable thinkable.

Meaning even Khabibulin could return next season, something that seemed impossible just a few weeks ago.

"It's conceivable,'' Tallon said. "It depends on the number.''

And with that, Tallon was off to relax and enjoy the moment - for about a moment.

Then, it's back to thinking about what he'll do with the roster if the Hawks don't win their next series.

Or, what he might be able to accomplish if they do.

brozner@dailyherald.com