Landon Slaggert’s offensive game isn’t all that nuanced. To the Chicago Blackhawks forward, scoring goals is pretty much black-and-white.
Or, better yet, blue.
“Just getting to the blue paint,” he said hours before he was set to make his NHL season debut Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“My dad (Andy Slaggert, associate hockey coach at Notre Dame) always has a saying, ‘Where do the goals hide?’ And the answer is they don’t — they’re around the blue paint. You’ve just got to get there and get to the net.”
Goals have been hiding from the Hawks, who rank second-worst with 2.59 per game, though they’ve marginally improved recently (2.8 in the last 10 games).
The Hawks hope Slaggert can bring a different element while learning on the job.
The Notre Dame product spent 16 games with the Hawks last season, producing a goal and three assists, but started this fall in Rockford to get more seasoning.
He has 10 goals and 15 assists in 39 games for the IceHogs, which includes recording a point in five of his last six games.
Craig Smith’s back injury and Taylor Hall’s trade to the Carolina Hurricanes opened space on the roster, but Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen said Slaggert deserved the nod.
“Happy for him,” Sorensen said. “He earned this, he deserves to be called up. He’s played really well in Rockford. But it’s neat to see.”
Sorensen coached Slaggert and his brother, Graham, during his days with the Chicago Mission.
“Known him for a long time, so it’s always a pretty cool experience,” Sorensen said. “But it’s more about the game tonight.”
Slaggert’s game is about effort, his coach said.
“It’s in his DNA,” he said. “He’s always been that type of player, he’s like a dog on a bone. He’s been producing down there (in Rockford).
“But defensively, be reliable. And he’s really good on the PK, so we’ll utilize him there as well.”
Slaggert said he tries to build his game by being competitive nightly.
“My offense has come along, too,” he said. “I’m not chasing points, but it’s a byproduct of the way I play.”
Slaggert played a support role for several IceHogs, some of whom are with the Hawks now.
Take, for example, the IceHogs’ 5-2 win against the Texas Stars on Nov. 19. Slaggert assisted on three straight goals in the second period — one by Frank Nazar, two by Colton Dach.
“It was awesome being able to know that if I put a puck behind, he’s going to go get that back, and he’s going to make a skill play,” Nazar said. “He set me up a lot of times and on the back door. And he’s a very skilled player, too.
“But I think the thing that pushes him above others is just that high pace, high motor, and being able to get those pucks and make a play with it.”
Nazar added that Slaggert is smart with his passes and can make them quickly through small windows.
“Just him being able to use his speed to get behind guys and get around guys, and then the skill takes over,” Nazar said.
Sorensen added, “If you look at his last college season, I think he had a lot of goals around that area.”
The Hawks coach put him on the line with Lukas Reichel and Nick Foligno.
“I played a couple games with him and (MacKenzie) Entwistle last year,” Reichel said. “And he was always working hard, really good on the forecheck, and just plays with energy.
“And that’s what we need here right now.”
Dach was a scratch for Tuesday’s game, so Slaggert slotted into his place.
“His effort and his pace of play can help, so those two guys can hopefully feed off each other and drag Nick along,” Sorensen said with a smile.