LAS VEGAS — Since Landon Slaggert’s call-up to the Blackhawks a month ago, some of Slaggert’s similarities to former Hawks forward Brandon Hagel have been brought up with a healthy dose of optimism.
It turns out Slaggert has been aware of those similarities for a long time. One of his coaches with the U.S. National Team Development Program — where he played before spending four years at Notre Dame — was the first to send him clips of Hagel, before the Hawks’ front office began doing so more recently.
“Ever since then, I’ve tried to pick pieces out of [Hagel’s] game,” Slaggert said Tuesday. “We both play with a lot of compete [and] a lot of speed, so there’s definitely some similarities.”
There’s a reason why the comparison requires so much optimism: it’s objectively unlikely Slaggert develops into anything close to a Hagel-caliber player.
After all, Hagel has written one of the most impressive underdog stories in the modern NHL. He went from an unsigned Sabres sixth-round pick to a breakout fan favorite with the Hawks. Then he was traded for two first-round picks — which turned into prospects Oliver Moore and Sacha Boisvert — in one of general manager Kyle Davidson’s pivotal first-year moves.
Hagel has since become an integral part of the Lightning’s offense and a member of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-off championship team. Entering Thursday, he ranked 15th in the NHL with 65 points in 57 games this season, putting him on pace for 94 points by season’s end.
Slaggert laughed when asked if he saw 90 points in his future — “You can dream, right?” he quipped — but he believes in himself, of course, that he can at least exceed the expectations placed on him.
He’s already something of an underdog story in his own right, considering he was a third-round pick who tallied only 13 points in 35 games during his 2022-23 collegiate junior year and now — two years later — looks like he fully belongs in the NHL.
Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen, who coached Hagel back in 2019-20 in Rockford, first mentioned Slaggert’s likeness to him unprompted back in January. He discussed Thursday some of the traits they share.
“[It’s about] the effort — the second effort, third effort even at times,” Sorensen said. “[Landon is] able to stay on pucks all the time. If there’s a change in transition, his reaction is really quick both ways — to jump on defense [or] jump on offense.”
In addition to Hagel’s doggedness, Slaggert has also watched how Hagel uses his body to protect pucks and win battles despite being listed at only 180 pounds — the exact same weight as Slaggert.
“I saw a highlight the other night [where] he fended off the ‘D’-man and created enough space to get off a shot,” Slaggert said. “That’s the biggest thing. Obviously, I’m not the biggest guy. But going against these big defensemen, you’ve got to find a way to get into their hands and get into their body to create that extra half-second.”
Slaggert’s play has dipped a bit since the 4 Nations break, and he entered Thursday mired in a six-point pointless streak after tallying two points in his first three NHL appearances of the season (including a goal against Hagel’s Lightning in his season debut).
Sorensen talked Thursday about how Slaggert’s compete level “is always there,” though, even when he’s bobbling pucks and not playing his absolute best. Sorensen has also liked Slaggert’s efforts on the penalty kill, which was a bright spot with a 5-for-5 showing in the otherwise ugly game Tuesday in Utah.
Besides, Slaggert’s long-term role is almost certainly going to be more as a versatile bottom-six energy guy and penalty killer than as a substantial offensive contributor. His work ethic is the crucial ingredient, especially when combined with his speed.
