The Blackhawks probably won’t mail in their last eight games.
With so many young players around, there’s plenty of genuine excitement for the stretch run, even though it basically means nothing from a standings standpoint. This is the opposite of a veteran team simply going through the motions.
Hawks forward Landon Slaggert is one of the drivers of that excitement. Nobody enjoys hockey — or really life in general — more than him. After practice Tuesday, he radiated joy on the left side of the locker room as he always does, and he was disappointed — not relieved — to realize the Hawks’ season finale is only two weeks away.
“I wish we had more time to keep going and keep improving,” Slaggert said. “It’s crazy.”
He is also excited for the offseason, though. Approaching his 23rd birthday, he believes he has formulated a smart plan to build upon things he learned during his first full pro season.
He exceeded expectations offensively during the first half in Rockford, tallying 25 points in 39 AHL games, and he hit the back of the net twice in his first three NHL games this season after his late-January call-up. His production has dried up since then, with zero goals and one assist in his last 22 games, but he hasn’t been discouraged by that.
“I really like where my game is trending, and I’m feeling more comfortable out there,” he said. “The game is slowing down, and I’m making more plays. The points aren’t coming as I hoped, but the biggest thing is getting those chances and figuring out how to execute and finish off a few more. I really like my play away from the puck defensively, and I’ve been forcing turnovers.
“What I’ve realized is it is so marginal — the difference is so small between a goal or not a goal, [or] a chance or not a chance. It is just [about] finding a way to create a higher success rate out of these opportunities.”
Slaggert’s 6.9% shooting percentage (two goals on 29 shots) does indicate some bad luck. That’s even more true for his fellow first-half Rockford standout, Frank Nazar, who has generated a ton of breakaways in recent games without converting any.
Both of them are focused on learning how to finish against NHL-caliber goaltenders. Slaggert has even watched Connor Bedard’s shooting release, searching for techniques he might be able to replicate.
Looking long-term, however, offensive production will probably be a bigger part of Nazar’s NHL success than Slaggert’s. Slaggert wasn’t a big-time producer even at Notre Dame; he knows his role at this level is “energy guy,” not “sniper.”
With that in mind, he plans to work with Hawks skills coach Brian Keane this summer on various skills that will help him win more board battles and thrive in tight spaces. Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen agreed that’s a good idea, calling that “one of the biggest areas” where young forwards entering the NHL must improve.
“My north-south skating ability is great, but [I want to] add a little more east-west lateral movement [so I can] hold onto more pucks and be good on my edges,” Slaggert said. “There are some big defensemen out there, so the stronger I can be in dirty areas, [the better I’ll be]. Because I find myself there quite a bit.”
Slaggert also wants Keane to help him improve his first touch so he can smoothly gather and handle pucks coming out of scrums. He’ll live at home in South Bend this summer, working out with Notre Dame guys, but he’ll also drive into Chicago frequently.
“It’s motivating when you do see gains,” he said. “They may seem small. [But] when you see a positive clip — like getting into a guy’s hands or using my speed effectively — it motivates you to want to improve on it that much more.”
