Time is right for Tallon to make big move

Dale Tallon's up to something.

At least, that's the feeling you get with the NHL GMs meeting right here in town.

The Blackhawks' general manager looked like a beaten man during the news conference announcing a coaching change, but his demeanor has since improved, and he's got a great opportunity now to make something happen and save his own hide.

No move would be bigger, or have more impact, than subtracting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin from the roster.

It would please boss John McDonough to no end, as McDonough pushed for the signing of free agent Cristobal Huet based on what he saw in net last season, and while new to hockey even McDonough knows you can't have $12 million, or 21 percent of your cap, in goal.

Getting rid of Khabibulin and his $6.7 million salary would be a miracle, but the best way to make it happen is for Khabibulin to play well, and that's almost certainly why he's still playing.

If Tallon pulls it off, and doesn't have to pay too much of Khabibulin's salary, it would free up cap space to add some size on defense. Someone like Chris Pronger, who played eight seasons for Joel Quenneville in St. Louis, might be available in a month or two if the Ducks can't right the ship.

Or the Hawks could add some goal scoring. There will be plenty of names available come January and February, and keep in mind that McDonough expects the Hawks to make the playoffs this season.

Equally important is for Tallon to begin moving some kids before they're exposed, though that is already occurring.

The Hawks had an excellent chance over the summer to get a No. 1 center and take some pressure off Jonathan Toews, but they passed on Olli Jokinen as he went to Phoenix.

Cam Barker would have likely been part of any deal with Florida, and the jury's still out on the young defenseman, though he has been unimpressive at the NHL level thus far. It doesn't help now that he's stuck at Rockford because of cap restrictions.

Meanwhile, there are more kids on the way and soon there will be a logjam at Rockford, so players either have to move up or move on, and the key is admitting that some of your headline draft picks are not what you hoped for and knowing when to cut bait.

There will be tagging issues in the years to come, and Toews and Patrick Kane will be receiving their monster contract extensions, so this will only get more difficult.

There are others on the NHL roster, like Andrew Ladd and Brent Sopel, who are merely taking up space, and it won't be long before Quenneville wants to make more changes.

So Tallon's got some work to do, and he must be itching to make something happen.

No time like the present.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

It's late in the game to look, but the Blackhawks have got to find themselves an enforcer.

Adam Burish gets huge points for guts and effort, but that job shouldn't fall to him, and no other Hawk has shown the ability - or willingness - to protect his teammates.

When Patrick Kane was thrown headfirst into the boards Sunday night, 21,000 at the UC waited to see who would go after the Canucks.

No one did.

Winging it

With a new coach on board, everything's on the table, and the first few things I guessed Joel Quenneville might want is to get bigger and tougher, find more touch around the net, trade Khabibulin, move Dustin Byfuglien back to defense, and get Troy Brouwer back to the NHL.

The latter two starred in the minors for Mike Haviland, who's now on staff, and you have to think his opinion mattered in the case of Brouwer, and it might with Byfuglien.

Brouwer is a natural goal scorer, and if not for the fact that the previous coach didn't like him, he would have been here long ago.

Nothing against Kris Versteeg, who has done a nice job, but Brouwer ought to be given a shot on a line with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, adding size and the ability to finish.

Eyes wide open

When Houston fired Jack Pardee after 10 games in 1994, Jeff Fisher was an afterthought as his interim replacement. The Oilers went just 1-5 the rest of the way, but they gave a young coach a chance and Fisher is now 25th on the all-time wins list. His next victory ties Mike Ditka.

Today in San Francisco, another Buddy Ryan disciple, Mike Singletary, gets his interim chance with a bad team and may have a tough time keeping his job without some measure of success this season.

Here's hoping he gets more than half a season to prove himself.

Bouncing back

Congrats to former Cubs media-relations director Sharon Pannozzo, who's moving to New York to take an executive position with NBC Entertainment Publicity, working on TV shows produced and filmed in N.Y.

Pannozzo is helping MLB at the World Series and then heads to Manhattan to begin anew, proving once again - as so many have before her - that there is life after the Cubs.

Coming clean

From e-mailer Mr. Buttermaker: "Just admit you made up the name Carl Corazzini.''

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Andrew Bynum excited to have become a superstar while he was injured.''

And finally -

Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "The players association has accused owners of colluding and acting in concert against signing Barry Bonds. I think I speak for all sports fans when I say, 'So?' ''

brozner@dailyherald.com