Savoie is also lucky to have a second signature trait besides his peskiness: his skating. But that skating is a difference-maker only when he utilizes it effectively, which has been a big focus for Rockford interim coach Mark Eaton.

ROCKFORD — Like all first-year AHL players, Blackhawks forward prospect Samuel Savoie is adjusting to facing bigger, more experienced, professional opponents for the first time.

But in Savoie’s case, he’s not only learning how to succeed against tougher competition, but also how to annoy and antagonize more mature players after the whistle. His trash-talking game has diversified in Rockford.

“They’re mentally stronger, so it’s a bit harder [to get under their skin], but I’ve got to keep playing with that edge,” Savoie said Tuesday, grinning.

“It’s definitely not like juniors, where they fall everywhere. They’re more solid, and they’re bigger guys. But that’s what I’ve got to keep bringing for our team. That energy is huge for us.”

Savoie, 20, is actually always grinning — usually with his tongue out — and his infectious personality is much bigger than his 5-10, 190-pound body. He’s a pest in the best way, beloved by teammates and despised by opponents. Once he reaches the NHL, that feistiness will instantly make him a fan favorite.

“It’s a niche,” Rockford interim coach Mark Eaton said. “It separates him from a lot of guys. He’s at his best when he’s doing that consistently.”

Savoie has improved at walking the line between annoying and illegal, too, after getting ejected a few too many times during his junior career in Quebec. He has spent less time in the penalty box this season and memorized techniques to calm himself down when emotions begin boiling up.

But to reach the NHL, Savoie needs to work on his hockey skills and instincts, too. He’s lucky to have a second signature trait besides his peskiness: his skating, which is excellent. But that skating is a difference-maker only when he effectively utilizes it.

He has nine points in his first 37 AHL games, which doesn’t jump off the page. Just like rookie forward Frank Nazar on the Hawks, though, Savoie would have significantly more points if he was burying a reasonable percentage of his ample scoring chances, especially recently on the IceHogs’ first line with Landon Slaggert and Cole Guttman. He has been somewhat unlucky and somewhat inefficient.

“It feels like he’s getting a clear breakaway every other game,” Eaton said, mentioning Savoie would benefit from establishing a couple go-to moves. “He has been a speedster most of his career, but you [have to] continually learn [how to] have your head and your hands be able to keep up with your feet.”

Since the Hawks have prioritized speed with their mid-round picks the last several years, that mantra will be crucial for many of their prospects. IceHogs rookie forward Paul Ludwinski, for example, also is in that boat.

Savoie said he’s working on holding on to pucks longer and shooting more assertively instead of deferring to linemates.

“At the start of the year, I was going around the net and making sure I was in the right place, but now I’ve got the confidence to drive that back post,” he said.

Meanwhile, Eaton talked to him Tuesday about staying more on the interior of the ice when the IceHogs circle back into their defensive zone for retrievals and breakouts.

That way, if the breakout occurs on the opposite side, Savoie will be slightly closer and be able to provide slashing support. Or if the breakout comes up the boards on his side, he’ll be able to skate into the puck rather than trying to make a play with his back to the wall. Then he can unleash his speed either on the rush or on the forecheck.

Savoie isn’t as close to being NHL ready as Slaggert, but he isn’t too far off. Once that time comes, he’ll have to prove he has enough puck skills to stick with the Hawks’ lineup long-term.

Levshunov’s lesson

No. 2 overall pick Artyom Levshunov continues to experience growing pains in his first AHL season.

The young and raw defenseman has made some fantastic plays and some equally terrible plays. The IceHogs have been outscored 27-15 overall during his five-on-five ice time. He has also taken a lot of penalties.

Much of that stems from his instinct to be extremely aggressive up the ice, which leads to him getting caught on counterattacks. Eaton said he’s “recalibrating” Levshunov’s perception of what works and what doesn’t at the pro level.

“There are maybe one or two defensemen in the world that create offense by leading the rush and being the one up in front,” Eaton has told him. “Most offense created at the pro level is [from defensemen] joining the rush, providing a second wave and being good passers, and then of course on the power play.”

On the positive side, even though Levshunov has tallied only two goals (and nine assists) in 33 games, he has racked up a whopping 97 shots on goal, which ranks second among all AHL defensemen. More goals are likely coming soon.

“He definitely does like to pull the trigger,” Eaton said. “But he’s also deceptive and shifty on the offensive blue [line], so he’s able to create a lot of shots for himself that otherwise might not be there.”

Eaton’s adjustment

Former Rockford coach Anders Sorensen’s promotion to Hawks interim coach in December led to Eaton becoming Rockford’s interim coach with zero prior coaching experience. He was, and still technically is, a Hawks assistant general manager overseeing prospect development.

Eaton used the saying “drinking through a fire hose” to describe his first few weeks in charge.

“It was pretty crazy,” he said. “I knew what I didn’t know, but there was a lot I didn’t know was even part of the responsibilities of coaching. The staff have been fantastic. My goal coming in was to try to make this as seamless as possible for the players, and they played a huge part in that.”

Rockford lost his first three games in charge, but he thought they played OK in two of those, and they’ve gone 8-6-1 since. They’re fifth in the AHL’s seven-team Central Division with a 16-17-4 overall record this season.

Eaton, who made 650 NHL appearances as a player, has been most surprised by the lack of an “off-switch” in this job.

“When you’re home watching hockey on TV, I’m starting to watch it in a different way — [from] more of a coach’s perspective as opposed to a development [perspective], or a scout or even a fan,” he said.

“As I settle in and learn more about the team, it’ll allow me to fall back on what I’ve been doing more of the last 11 years: working with guys to help them grow individually.”