Prospect Landon Slaggert Set to Join Blackhawks

Coach Luke Richardson said Notre Dame leading scorer will arrive in Chicago Tuesday, then possibly play later in the week.

Landon Slaggert, Notre Dame's leading scorer as a senior this season, is expected to join the Blackhawks on Tuesday for their game-day skate before Chicago hosts Anaheim in the evening. 

The Blackhawks signed Slaggert to a two-year, entry-level contract that runs through the 2024-25 season ($912,500 salary cap hit) on Sunday. The 21-year-old forward's four-year collegiate career ended on Saturday when Michigan eliminated the Irish from the Big Ten Hockey Tournament.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said he wants Slaggert to acclimate to his new team before likely making his pro debut later in the week. That could happen when Chicago hosts Los Angeles on Friday or San Jose on Sunday.

"It will give us a little time to get with him a little," Richardson said. "It's a lot of information for a young guy to pick up and he's going to be excited. So we just want to give him a chance to get in a few practices here."

Richardson added Slaggert's timeline also might be affected by injuries to current Blackhawks players. See following video.

Slaggert skated in 36 games with Notre Dame during the 2023-24 campaign, leading the Irish with a career-high 20 goals and 31 points. He was selected by the Blackhawks in the third round, 79^th overall, of the 2020 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Slaggert native played a total of 136 games with Notre Dame, totaling 47 goals and 92 points. The South Bend, Indiana native helped his hometown Irish to NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2022.

“Landon has been part of my life since he was a little boy,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said. “I knew then that he had a warrior’s spirit. Landon has been one of the most complete players that I have ever coached. What makes him so special is that his character matches his ability.”

Slaggert skated for two U.S. IIHF World Junior Championship teams (2021, 2022) and was on the gold medal squad in 2021. He played 98 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2018-20, posting 48 points 25 goals and 48 points.

Slaggert bounced back from a poor junior season when he posted just 13 points, but he didn't make the Top 10 list of Chicago's prospects in The Hockey News 2024 Future Watch. That group is selected by a scouting panel.

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