The Chicago Blackhawks announced this on December 8 they sent defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Landon Slaggert to the Rockford IceHogs.
This news comes after a road trip in which the Blackhawks went 1-2-1, and it benefits everyone involved.
Slaggert gets more ice time
Let’s start with Landon Slaggert. Head coach Jeff Blashill recently talked about his ice time, especially considering his age, and how the 23-year-old is best suited to play every day. The problem was, it just wasn’t on the Blackhawks.
He was sent to the IceHogs in early November. He was recalled to the Blackhawks soon after for depth purposes amid injuries and illness, as Andre Burakovsky was ill when they first recalled Slaggert, and his playing status was unclear. But since being recalled on November 12, he has played in only five of 13 games and was a healthy scratch for the entire four-game road trip. Players have returned to the lineup, clouding his spot.
Blashill said of Slaggert on December 6: “Yeah, definitely, it’s something we’re aware of. We don’t want to let him sit for a long, long time. You know, whatever that means. And ultimately, you know, he had an accident for him in training camp. He missed a lot of training camp because of injuries. And so, you know, it’s been very difficult, I think, to get traction. And then you don’t play on a regular basis, and when you do play, you don’t play a lot of minutes. So it’s something we’ll look at and evaluate as a coaching staff and with our management group.”
Slaggert will be an everyday player at Rockford and have better minutes. He has 26 points in 42 career games in Rockford and will be an asset.
Rinzel’s game will continue to evolve
I think one of the most striking things about development is that defenders in particular need time. Sam Rinzel shows this. The 21-year-old defender started the season in a good way. He was on the top pair together with Alex Vlasic. He even played more than 25 minutes in their season debut against the Florida Panthers (which Blashill noted was too many minutes and he adjusted it). He was third among rookies in ice time at one point, while also being a fixture on special teams.
But he has faced some problems. On November 12, Blashill removed him from the top pairing with Vlasic and made him the seventh defender in their 11/7 lineup. He then made a healthy scratch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 15.
When he returned, he was still the seventh defenseman, and the Blackhawks protected him. He was moved from the top power play unit to the second. His ice time also decreased. Now he ranks 13th among NHL rookies in ice time (16:32 minutes). Scott powers of The Athletics noticed that he was playing only 7:49 minutes over two periods against the Los Angeles Kings on December 6. Rinzel also played just one shift in the third period against the Vegas Golden Knights on December 2.
Blashill was asked about Rinzel getting one shift in the third period against Vegas: “Well, you know, he’s actually done some good things. Last game he did some defensive things that we want to make sure he gets right, and sometimes that results in him not playing. But overall, I honestly think he’s played more good hockey than not, and that’s just part of the process.”
Blashill continued, “I think when he’s at his best, he’s controlling the puck, learning how much time and space you have at this level. And it’s just something that as he gets stronger, it’s going to help him as well, but he’s still kind of figuring that out. And then I think body position defensively is a big challenge for him. If his body position is good defensively, ultimately you don’t give up as many easy opportunities. So I expect him to have a good game here tonight. Again, I I think he’s played more good hockey than not.”
Related: Blackhawks youth evolution leads to team success
That whole quote encapsulates everything. Rinzel is a very talented defender and plays a big role in their future. He has the size, the instincts and the skating ability. But development has its highs and lows, and while the organization continues to preach, they want their players to “thrive and not just survive.”
Rockford played a key role for the Blackhawks. Most of the players who spent time in Rockford have come out much better, such as Wyatt Kaiser, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore. So this is a good opportunity for him to further develop his skills and become an even better defender.
As my colleague Gail Kauchak also noted, Rinzel is moving to Rockford signals the end of the Blackhawks’ 11/7 lineup. That is also something to look at.
Blashill previously said: “I think development and winning go hand in hand.”
Rinzel and Slaggert’s assignments to Rockford are another example of this: they help the players and the team in the long term.
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