The Blackhawks’ pipeline of forward prospects has nearly run dry.
There’s a reason why new general manager Kyle Davidson has been so forward — pun intended — with identifying it as an area needing improvement. And once Lukas Reichel graduates to the NHL, it’ll be even drier.
But an ‘X’-factor in this conversation is Landon Slaggert, the Hawks’ 2020 third-round pick who has grown at Notre Dame over the past two years into a hardworking, versatile forward.
If Slaggert eventually develops into a useful NHL role player, it’d give the Hawks at least something of value from their current pool of young forwards. Outside of Reichel, he and Colton Dach are the most intriguing guys in the group.
“I see myself as a 200-foot player that brings some energy,” Slaggert said recently. “Honestly, I like to look up to Brandon Hagel in that aspect. I know he’s a special player, and I have a long way to go to be even mentioned in the same conversation as him, but he’s definitely someone I look up to. I’d like to get my game to his level someday.”
After tallying eight goals and 22 points in 25 games as a freshman last season, Slaggert has recorded 11 goals and 24 points in 37 games as a sophomore this season, including 14 points in 18 games since Jan. 7.
That point production is respectable, but he admits he tries not to focus on it too much, knowing his game likely won’t be predicated on scoring at the pro level.
Alternatively, his upside resembles a Hagel- or Drake Caggiula-like jack of all trades who can make positive impacts in all three zones, winning puck battles and races, to help his teammates while contributing a little bit himself. He can play all three positions, which helps.
With his 6-0, 190-pound frame, he’s never going to be a bruiser, but he could be a solid bottom-six forward.
Notre Dame hockey has become a rather Slaggert-laden program, with Landon skating on a line with his senior brother Graham while being watched over by father Andy, an associate head coach. And it’s working out well for Notre Dame, which enters the Big Ten semifinals Saturday against Michigan with a 27-10-0 record, ranked No. 8 in the country.
“It started out a little tough to be critical of each other,” Slaggert said about playing with Graham. “It’s funny to do as brothers, because we have a unique relationship. But now it allows us to have an extra level of chemistry, because we have a brotherly connection that allows us to find each other out there. It has been a blast playing with him and seeing our relationship grow.”
As for himself, Slaggert has worked hardest on improving his poise — building his confidence with and without the puck, maximizing his ability to see and evaluate every on-ice situation and ultimately make the right decision.
It’s something his coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program — which Slaggert was drafted out of two years ago — first identified as an area for him to focus on, and he has been doing so ever since. He believes it has “come a long way.”
The Hawks are predictably keeping in touch. Development coaches Kendall Coyne Schofield and Erik Condra often break down Slaggert’s video or pass along advice on handling the mental side of hockey.
He hasn’t thought much yet about where he’ll be next season, but realistically, he’s probably destined for at least one more year of college. And he’ll need to maintain his upward trajectory during that year or two to come, as it’s not guaranteed yet that he’ll turn into the next Hagel or Caggiula.
But if he does, it’d certainly help the Hawks.
