It didn’t take the Blackhawks long to get a deal done with forward prospect Landon Slaggert. They signed him to a two-year, entry-level contract Sunday, one day after his senior season at Notre Dame ended.
Slaggert is expected to join the Hawks for the rest of the NHL regular season, and he should slot into a bottom-six role pretty quickly. The Hawks were fine with trading Anthony Beauvillier and losing Boris Katchouk on waivers last week in part because they knew Slaggert — someone they actually view as a potential long-term piece — would be coming soon.
This year represents one of the two years on the contract, meaning it will expire in the summer of 2025. It carries a salary-cap hit of $912,500.
When Slaggert said in late January that he planned to sign with the Hawks after the season ended, squashing any concerns about him pursuing free agency, his focus was still very much on trying to get Notre Dame into the NCAA Tournament. That didn’t happen, though, as the Fighting Irish lost eight of their last 10 games — including two heartbreakers against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament this weekend.
His decision to return for his senior year after a disappointing junior year paid off for him. He led the team with 31 points in 36 games, becoming the first Notre Dame player to score 20 goals in a season since 2017.
“He just continued that style of play — the relentless, high-compete style — and added a little bit of offense this year, which was good to see and good for his confidence,” Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said.
Sloppy line changes
The Hawks have had a few shaky or poorly coordinated line changes recently, but their loss Saturday against the Capitals was a particularly rough game in that regard. First, the Hawks were whistled for too many men early in the second period, when Kevin Korchinski and Jarred Tinordi got mixed up as the puck skittered right by the bench.
“Korchinski just jumped a little too prematurely there for Tinordi to turn back,” coach Luke Richardson said. “He wasn’t even on his way to the bench. Sometimes you take your eye off the guy coming [when] you think he’s coming. You have to really pay attention and watch, for sure.”
Later in the period, Jaycob Megna and Seth Jones got mixed up in a similar situation, but the most blame fell on Zach Sanford, who tripped without dumping the puck in, then inexplicably sent it the wrong direction along the bench boards while sitting on the ice. That gave the Capitals a two-on-one rush that Sonny Milano converted.
“You’ve got to get that puck in somehow,” Richardson said. “If you can’t, you maybe flip it in the bench. . . . We’ll take an icing over that. So those [situations] are just managing the puck in certain times. You’ve got to take care of everybody on the ice.”
Post-deadline relief
Veteran forward Tyler Johnson heard his name included in rumors and speculation leading up to the NHL trade deadline Friday, but that passed without him getting moved.
He still likely will need to find a new home this summer when his contract expires, but he’s content finishing out this season in Chicago.
“It’s [a] relief knowing now where I’m at, right?” Johnson said. “It’s always a little tough with the uncertainty of everything. I’m happy to be here, though. I love our team, I love our guys and I’m here to battle and work for the remainder of the season.”
