A year ago at this time, forward Landon Slaggert was preparing for the start of his senior season at Notre Dame. Now, he’s signing autographs after the Blackhawks’ morning skate on Saturday.
Life hasn’t slowed down for Slaggert since signing his entry-level contract with the Hawks in March, two days after wrapping up a senior season that ended with a loss to Michigan in the Big Ten quarterfinal.
He scored four points over 16 games with the Hawks while playing with teammates he grew up watching and against players he idolized in Islanders forward Anders Lee.
Slaggert has a rugged play style and a deft scoring touch. After his brief NHL experience, Slaggert said he thought he could have held the puck more and showed more play-making ability. But the fact he can look back on his 16 games and know he could have made more of an impact is promising as he begins his career.
“It’s a process, but I also think not deferring,” Slaggert said of what he learned from his NHL stint last season. “You watch these guys on TV for a long time now growing up, so not deferring to them and just being confident in my own game and knowing I can make plays.”
Slaggert, a third-round pick in 2020, is different from most of the Hawks’ forward prospects. He plays a more physical style and is adept at scoring dirty goals in front of the net. Slaggert will probably begin the year with the Rockford IceHogs after the Hawks signed five veteran forwards over the summer.
But just because it’s a numbers crunch at the forward position doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot Slaggert can glean from camp. Training camp is also an opportunity for a player like Slaggert to continue making an impression on the coaching staff.
Slaggert said he worked on cutting off hands — when a player uses their stick to come over the top of an opposing player’s stick, and low enough to avoid making contact with the opponents hands — and using his body more over the summer.
“A dog on a bone work ethic,” coach Luke Richardson said of what he’s seen from Slaggert. “He does everything right. He did well in the rookie tournament, as well, especially having that little bit of experience at the end of last year. He’s just a good kid. He’s eager to learn and to show his best, so it’s great to watch him and see him progress daily. He ingests everything you talk to him about.”
Given that he’s experiencing his first training camp, Slaggert is leaning on the veterans for any advice they can dish out. With an abundance of veteran signings, the Hawks’ locker room is stocked with multiple leaders. Slaggert has talked with forwards Joey Anderson and Nick Foligno about adjusting to NHL life on and off the ice.
That eagerness to learn will serve Slaggert well with the IceHogs as he can develop alongside many Hawks forward prospects. General manager Kyle Davidson assembled the roster with veterans to ensure that prospects would have to earn spots as the front office tries to progress the rebuild.
A synergy exists between the IceHogs and the Hawks, allowing prospects to grow and develop in low-stakes environments. Rockford will give Slaggert time to continue honing his game, but for now, he’s soaking in the rest of preseason.
“Everything’s been high compete, fast-paced and been really fun, honestly, just playing against these guys and getting out there with some good players,” Slaggert said. “Nothing surprising, but a really good time.”