Newly signed Blackhawks winger Landon Slaggert came off the ice seriously sweaty and winded after his first NHL practice Tuesday morning.
That’s what can happen when an athlete at this level takes only two days off from training, as Slaggert did Sunday and Monday to move from South Bend, Indiana, to Chicago after his senior season at Notre Dame ended and he officially signed his entry-level contract with the Hawks.
But beneath the moisture and gasps were a broad smile and ample excitement. After years of anticipation, the former Chicago Mission youth player finally has his own stall at the United Center.
‘‘Growing up playing mini-stick [hockey] in the basement, I was wearing the Hawks jerseys, and it’s awesome to be wearing one today,’’ Slaggert said.
It’s not exactly true that he was a Hawks fan from birth. His dad, longtime Notre Dame associate coach Andy Slaggert, grew up outside Detroit as a Red Wings fan, so Landon inherited some of that allegiance. He mentioned Tuesday that watching Pavel Datsyuk during his prime was pretty fun.
But Slaggert, 21, has been nothing but committed to the Hawks since his selection in the third round of the 2020 draft, despite their regime change and his decision last summer to turn down a contract offer and return for a fourth college season.
Slaggert appreciated how supportive the Hawks were of that decision and his overall development process. When he talked with general manager Kyle Davidson in late December, it was clear both were on the same page about his signing timeline.
With his contract — which runs through the end of next season — now on the books, the Hawks have targeted Friday against the Kings for Slaggert’s debut. That would give him up to 16 games of NHL experience before the end of the season. But if coach Luke Richardson’s delicate handling of straight-out-of-college defenseman Wyatt Kaiser last spring is any indication, Slaggert might not dress for every game.
‘‘He’s that type of guy whom you can put anywhere,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘He has some skill . . . but he’s a responsible guy and kills some penalties and stuff. We’re not sure exactly where we’ll fit him in yet, but we’ll get him in a couple of practices this week and hopefully get him in right away and see what he can do there.’’
In the long term, Slaggert projects to be a bottom-six winger with enough versatility and scoring touch to move up into the top six for spot duty when needed.
The Hawks loved Slaggert’s progress this year in terms of making crafty plays with the puck in tight areas and under pressure, and he also proved adept at positioning himself for dirty goals around the crease; 20 of his 31 points (in 36 games) were goals.
With so many of the Hawks’ other forward prospects being more of the speedy, agile type, he’s a unique and seemingly complementary piece of the puzzle.
‘‘Obviously the goalies are a lot better in the NHL, but I think the pucks are still sitting there in the crease, just waiting for someone to bang them home,’’ Slaggert said. ‘‘Hopefully that can be me.’’
Slaggert often name-drops Islanders forward Anders Lee (who played at Notre Dame in 2010-13) as a player he admired and modeled his game after, and Lee’s career trajectory represents a semi-realistic best-case scenario for Slaggert.
Lee, originally a sixth-round pick, had 38 points in 41 games his final college season, then joined the Islanders for two games. He split the next season between the NHL and AHL before breaking through and has 444 points in 742 games in the last decade.
The odds don’t favor Slaggert enjoying that productive or stable a career. But in the context of this difficult Hawks season, his arrival should bring some excitement and intrigue.
