Blackhawks looking to build at the trade deadline

Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon tells Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily Herald that he may be both a buyer and a seller at the trade deadline.

“We’re not buyers or sellers — we’re building,” Tallon said Saturday before the Hawks went out and beat the Kings 6-5 in overtime.

One one hand, Tallon may try to move pending UFA forwards Martin Lapointe and Yanic Perreault as well as defenseman Andrei Zyuzin. Speculation is that the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings are interested in adding Lapointe.

Goalie Nikolai Khabibulin could also be available. Once again, the Senators may be interested. The Red Wings, too.

On the other, the Blackhawks have apparently contacted the Tampa Bay Lightning to inquire about the availability of forward Brad Richards.

Tallon says that one way or another, he will be involved in the action on or before the 26th.

“We’ll get some things done,” said Tallon, who has assistant GM Rick Dudley and director of pro scouting Marc Bergevin with him here on the trip. “We know what we want to do.”

Blackhawks head coach Denis Savard tells Len Ziehm of the Chicago Sun Times he’s confident Tallon will improve the club if the right deal comes along.

“If [general manager Dale Tallon] thinks he can do something to improve this team, he’ll do it,” Savard said. “There won’t be any hesitation on his part.”