Tallon now in position of strength with goalies?

The Blackhawks' goaltending situation is getting a lot of attention around the NHL, particularly from teams beginning to question what they have between the pipes.

Such as the Ottawa Senators, who aren't happy with No. 1 goalie Martin Gerber.

Reports out of Ottawa claim the Senators might have an interest in Nikolai Khabibulin, except now Hawks general manager Dale Tallon might not be so eager to move the veteran without getting something he wants in return.

The Ottawa Sun on Saturday quoted an unnamed NHL source as saying Tallon no longer would simply give away Khabibulin to get out from under his $6.75 million salary cap hit.

Hawks assistant GM Rick Dudley was in Ottawa on Friday night, watching the Senators lose 4-3 to Anaheim. A 3-2 loss at Toronto on Saturday night dropped Ottawa's record to 2-5-1.

Khabibulin's strong start has put Tallon in a position of strength should he decide to deal either Khabibulin or Cristobal Huet.

The Hawks still need an experienced second-line center so Patrick Sharp can go back to playing wing.

There's probably little chance the Hawks could get Mike Fisher from the Senators, but the veteran center was minus-4 with no points in his first four games.

Antoine Vermette, a winger with some experience at center, is another player who has interested the Hawks in the past.

Professional approach: Hawks coach Joel Quenneville has been impressed with how Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet have handled his decisions regarding which one starts.

"I've got to commend them for how they're handing the situation, but I still like the fact they both want the net," Quenneville said. "The moral and how you carry yourself as goaltenders, I think you get watched quite a bit, and they've been real good pros about how they approach coming to practices and when they play."

Khabibulin started Saturday against Detroit for the sixth time in seven games.

"I think it's healthy that they're both playing well and I think they understand the situation," Quenneville said.

On the mend: Defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, who hurt his ribs on opening night, practiced Saturday morning for the first time since the injury.

"We really haven't had any contact yet, then you'll get a better assessment on him," Joel Quenneville said. "But he's really progressed the last couple of days. It'll be good having another healthy defenseman down the road."