The Blackhawks are giving Landon Slaggert another shot at the big leagues, calling him up from their AHL affiliate in Rockford.
While he won’t suit up for Sunday’s game against Minnesota, he’ll be traveling with the team as they head out for a three-game road trip.
This isn’t Slaggert’s first taste of NHL action. He got his feet wet last year after finishing up at Notre Dame, picking up four points in 16 games with the Hawks.
The young forward has been tearing it up in Rockford this season. He’s grabbed 25 points in 39 games, good for third on the team, and leads all IceHogs with a +9 rating.
But cracking the lineup might be tough right now.
Chicago’s bottom six forwards have been on fire lately. All of them – Colton Dach, Nick Foligno, Pat Maroon, Ryan Donato, Lukas Reichel, and Philipp Kurashev – have put up multiple points in the last 10 games.
Donato’s been particularly hot, racking up seven points and 18 shots during that stretch.
If anyone’s spot might be up for grabs, it’s probably Kurashev’s. He finally broke a brutal 12-game scoring drought with two points on January 20, but he’s been in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. There’s even been some trade buzz around his name.
Bringing Slaggert along for this road trip might be the Hawks’ way of test-driving their potential replacement for Kurashev on the fourth line.
