Chicago Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Landon Slaggert

The Chicago Blackhawks finished their 2025-26 campaign 31st in the league, with a record of 29-39-14 and 72 points. It was an improvement from last season’s totals of 25-46-11 (61 points), but the organization had more progress in mind when they embarked on this campaign. The good news is the Blackhawks finished with more wins and more points than the previous season. They also feel they’ve taken positive strides in the growth and development of a plethora of young players, who could be a big part of a more successful future.

In this summer series, we’ll hand out individual grades to every player on the team. Today we highlight depth forward Landon Slaggert.

Slaggert’s Season Stats

3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points, minus–2 in 53 games played. Average time on ice (ATOI) of 10:33 minutes

42.9 Corsi For Percentage (at Even Strength) (CF%), 24 blocked shots, 79 hits, 4 takeaways, 12 giveaways, 16 penalty minutes

Contract Status: Contract runs through the 2026-27 season, $900,000 cap hit

Season Overview

Slaggert missed most of training camp and the beginning of the 2025-26 season due to injury. Unfortunately, this seemed to set the tone for an underwhelming overall campaign. The South Bend, Indiana native played on the fourth line most of the season, along with being a healthy scratch numerous times. He also was sent down to the Rockford IceHogs for a couple of stints early on, where he recorded two goals and four points in eight games overall.

With the Blackhawks, Slaggert’s role was to be hard to play against. He brought grit, energy and tenacity. His 79 hits ranked fifth on the team, and he was a regular contributor on the penalty kill. Slaggert was strong on the forecheck and good at hounding the puck to create turnovers. He brought decent speed too, which was obviously another asset. Head coach Jeff Blashill gave this assessment of Slaggert’s game in early April.

When Slaggs is at his best, he’s on the forecheck, disrupting plays, creating turnovers, going to the net and a good penalty killer. Those are kind of the things that I think he does best. And I think he’s done a pretty good job of that overall lately. It’s just probably kind of providing that north-south game and energy. 

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Slaggert was a solid depth player this past season, and his drive and determination on the ice can’t be argued. But there are other players who can do that same thing and also offer more of an offensive upside. Ryan Donato and Andrew Mangiapane are similar depth-type players. Donato scored 15 goals this past season, and Mangiapane eight (between the Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers). Nick Foligno, before he was traded, often-times played on the fourth line. He came away with 11 points (three goals and eight assists). All of this was more than Slaggert’s three goals and four assists.

Landon Slaggert with a floating wrist shot from 40 feet out finds its way in for his 3rd goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/JG3RifEE9S

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 1, 2026

The point is that Slaggert, for all his grit and physicality, would be much more of an asset if he could also add to the score sheet. Blashill mentioned him getting to the net, which is where he can score more goals. Can he do that more often and provide more finish next season?

The almost 24-year-old (24 on June 25) has one more year on his second contract with the Blackhawks, carrying a cap hit of $900,000. He’ll need to come to training camp ready to show his worth on the team. It will be a big prove-it season for Slaggert, with other players gunning to take his spot in the lineup.

Quotable Quote

Slaggert ahead of the Boston Bruins game on Jan. 17, speaking on two of his best assets; his speed and tenacity.

I think they honestly go hand in hand, to be honest. I think my speed allows me to be tenacious on pucks, and then force some turnovers on the forecheck. Like I said, I think that’s something that I take pride in too. The puck is really valuable out there, and the more that we have it, the better chance we have to win the game. So the more that I can force some turnovers, get the puck for us, play some offense, the better.

Slaggert’s Final Grade: C

Slaggert showed he can be a gritty, tenacious and defensively minded depth player for the Blackhawks. But there was very little offensive upside. He’ll be competing with other players who could offer more of a well-rounded game for a spot next season.