Blackhawks forward prospect Landon Slaggert’s dream is to still play pro hockey. That hasn’t changed.
He’s decided it can wait, though.
Slaggert told The Athletic on Friday he will return to Notre Dame for his senior season and put off signing an NHL contract for another year.
The decision whether to turn pro or return to school for a final season may be tough for some NHL prospects, but it wasn’t for Slaggert. He was certain in his reasons to come back to South Bend, Ind., for a final go as his younger brother, Carter Slaggert, is arriving at Notre Dame as a freshman and his father, Andy, still being an associate head coach.
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“I think obviously the Blackhawks and on to the next level is a great opportunity and an awesome step in my career, but I think Notre Dame has a special place in my heart,” the 20-year-old Slaggert said by phone on Friday. “And obviously having my dad as an assistant coach here and being here for so long, I have a very special connection to the university and the program, and being able to play with my younger brother, I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I don’t take it for granted.”
Slaggert’s decision does naturally bring uncertainty about his future with the Blackhawks. Slaggert, a 2020 third-round pick, could turn down a Blackhawks’ contract offer after his senior season and wait until August of 2024 for his draft rights to expire and become an unrestricted free agent.
Slaggert isn’t planning on that, but he also didn’t guarantee anything.
“Yet to be decided,” Slaggert said. “But like I said, I have a really good relationship with the Hawks and seems like the right spot for me as of now. But obviously things change. So really excited to see how they do this next year, and I have (former Notre Dame teammate) Ryder Rolston in the system now, so hopefully we’ll see him do some good things and talk to him. But, yeah, I definitely think the Blackhawks are a great organization that I want to be a part of, and talking to guys within the organization, they value the way I play and the team they’re trying to build really values the aspects that I bring, so that’s exciting and something that I hope to contribute towards.”
Slaggert’s game brings a bit of everything. He’s often described as a Swiss Army knife for his playing style. The Blackhawks see him as a likely bottom-six forward who can be aggressive on the forecheck, reliable defensively, help them play fast and contribute occasionally offensively.
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Slaggert wasn’t pleased with his overall game throughout his junior season at Notre Dame. He struggled offensively the first half of the season. He did come on late and finished with seven goals and six assists in 35 games.
“I think it was definitely a tough season, a season with a lot of adversity,” Slaggert said. “Definitely it didn’t go the way I wanted it to offensively. But I think I did learn a lot about myself and about myself as a player and as a person just going through that and having to work through it. So definitely not the way I wanted it to go, but I did learn some things and felt like I grew as a player defensively and learned how to play on the ‘D’ side of the puck. But definitely as a team as a whole, I think we struggled to string some wins together, and I think that just created a frustrating environment. But I think worked through it and kind of found my game late in the season.”
Slaggert is hopeful next season will be different. Aside from the family aspect, he believes returning to college for another season will benefit his development.
“I think just rounding out my game as a whole both defensively and offensively and just being kind of a Swiss Army knife used in all situations,” Slaggert said. “I think coach (Jeff) Jackson here gives me a ton of opportunity to prove myself in all those situations. But I think offensively since the struggle that I had this year, I think just continuing to harp on that part of my game, the poise and just the finishing and scoring touch and that around the net. So I think that’s one area I really want to want to improve on and continue to grow in my game.”
(Photo: Michael Caterina / USA Today)
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