Tonight, when the Chicago Blackhawks play the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center, rookie Landon Slaggert of the Hawks will make his eagerly awaited NHL debut.
The 2020 Notre Dame senior, who was selected in the third round of the draft, has signed an entry-level deal.
Slaggert was rested on Tuesday by head coach Luke Richardson in an attempt to ease him back into the lineup following his three-day jump from playing for the Fighting Irish to practicing with the Hawks last Saturday.
Giving the young guy a few days to process everything is beneficial, especially since he is now a seasoned professional and his college career is ended. Skating in the fourth line will be Slaggert. After the game on Tuesday, Reese Johnson entered the concussion protocol, therefore he will take Johnson’s place.
Slaggert’s ability to play both up and down the lines is one of his strongest suit. For his last season, he returned to Notre Dame in order to hone his offensive skills. He ended with 20 goals and 11 assists, thus it was successful. He plays the ice with a workmanlike effort and is a good bottom-six player. The Hawks’ executive team believes he can be a productive third-line player and that his ceiling may be to play on the top line alongside Connor Bedard in the future.
Watching Slaggert make his debut in this game is not the only thing to do.
For the second time this season, the Chicago Blackhawks will attempt to build a real winning run. Do you recall the film Major League? For those who have witnessed it, a true win streak is achieved after three consecutive victories.
That is not what the Hawks have done all season.
The Blackhawks’ attack has exploded in the past two games, defeating the Anaheim Ducks and the Arizona Coyotes by a combined total of 14 goals. There’s a hot streak for the top line. In the two games, Bedard had eight points. Philipp Kurashev has two goals and three assists, while Nick Foligno has four assists.
The Ducks and Coyotes are struggling this season, that’s the only issue. By defeating the Vegas Golden Knights to take third place in the Pacific Division, the Kings are avoiding a first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks, who are likely the top seed.
The Kings are 19-10-4 away from home and 5-4-1 throughout their past ten games. With a 14-11-7 record, they have more wins away from home than at home. The Blackhawks will have a difficult time starting a winning streak tonight. However, nothing about this season has been simple.
