Passmore a net gain in experience

The Blackhawks have tried nine rookies in their first 28 games.Now their roster is down to six.

Goaltender Craig Anderson, 22, was returned to Norfolk of theAmerican Hockey League on Tuesday, with veteran Steve Passmore takinghis place. Defenseman Lasse Kukkonen, 22, and winger Pavel Vorobiev,21, started the season with the Hawks but were sent to Norfolk lastmonth.

Anderson was called up Nov. 10 after Jocelyn Thibault wassidelined for hip surgery. He was unimpressive in seven games,compiling an 0-6-0 record, 3.36 goals-against average and .878 savepercentage.

Brett McLean, Tuomo Ruutu, Mikhail Yakubov, Igor Radulov, TravisMoen and Michael Leighton are the remaining rookies.

The Hawks' decision to field a young lineup this season made goodbusiness sense. Last season's veteran-dominated team missed theplayoffs, flopping badly in the last three months. Changes needed tobe made, and with the NHL's collective-bargaining agreement expiringafter this season, it made no sense to go after the more expensiveveteran free agents.

So the Hawks went with youth, and thanks in large part to injuriesto key veterans, it has been a disaster. They take a 14-game winlessstreak into their home game Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings.Worse yet, even coach Brian Sutter sees no end in sight.

This isn't something that's going to change in a month or twomonths," he said. You don't just turn a switch on. The guys aregetting better without getting the results. It's all a process thattakes time."

That process is painful to watch at the moment. The rookies haveplayed with enthusiasm, but none has proved to be fully ready for therigors of the NHL. Radulov, 21, might be the next to go. He has threegoals and seven assists in 27 games but played less than 10 minutesin the last two games.

On our last road trip, there were a couple of games in which hewasn't there," Sutter said. He didn't compete at the level he neededto. But the last couple of games, there was nothing wrong. [Thelimited ice time] was just because of the way the games went. I'vegot to find a way to play him more, but he's got to earn it, too."

At least Anderson wasn't replaced by another rookie. The Hawksdon't need any more of them, and Passmore, 30, provides some badlyneeded experience. He played in 64 games for the Hawks during thelast four seasons, compiling a 17-26-10 record, 2.73 GAA and .896save percentage. He was 3-10-2 at Norfolk this season with twoshutouts in his last four starts, a 2.63 GAA and an .899 savepercentage.