"There's a lot of teams looking for a defenseman, so I think probably a few weeks ago people wouldn't have expected Gleason to be signed," Bowman told reporters recently. "We're going to listen to whatever's out there."
League sources have stated that the Hawks are trying to find blueliners who skate and move the puck well, but many are highly coveted in the market. Ex-Hawk Chris Campoli of the Montreal Canadiens appears to be the best option available and could easily fit back into the Hawks' system.
Meanwhile, Bowman could look into Habs veteran defenseman Hal Gill or Edmonton Oilers' Andy Sutton, whom they are rumored to be actively shopping, for some added size on the back end.
However, Bowman's best alternative might be to target the top available forwards to help out his star players, and provide better support along the boards, win puck battles and have the skill and patience to control the puck in all three zones.
Players such as Oilers right winger Ales Hemsky and Buffalo Sabres center Derek Roy could assist offensively, while ex-Hawk Tuomo Ruutu of the Hurricanes could also be considered an upgrade over struggling depth forwards Michael Frolik and Bryan Bickell.
More Trade Deadline Info
List of Trades
| No-Trade/No-Movement Clauses
| Top 25 Available Players
| Team-by-Team Cap Info
