The regular season starts in just a couple days and the Chicago Blackhawks need to trim down their roster. Beyond just intense roster battles, they just simply have too many bodies.
With the flood of young talent arriving in the NHL, there are going to be some casualties. Today, it’s possibly Landon Slaggert and Dominic Toninato.
Toninato is a 32 year old veteran pro who spent last season playing for the Rockford IceHogs. Toninato has had a few call-ups to the Blackhawks, and has always been a reliable fourth line veteran who plays a safe game.
Landon Slaggert is a player who has been a part of the Blackhawks organization since 2020, when he was selected in the third round. Slaggert is a speedy winger who plays a reliable 200-foot game, and can kill penalties.
The problem for Slaggert is that he doesn’t excel in any particular aspect of the game. He is passable as a fourth line checker, but isn’t much beyond that.
The Blackhawks of course hope that both players clear waivers and remain in the organization, but they need to start trimming down their roster and make room for more prominent young pieces of the rebuild.
This move also suggests that the Blackhawks will carry eight defenceman to start the season. Alex Vlasic, Bowen Byram, Wyatt Kaiser, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Ian Cole, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro.