Following a dreadful pair of games over the weekend, the Blackhawks made a couple of roster moves that have seemed increasingly likely over the last few weeks.
On Monday, the Blackhawks announced that Landon Slaggert and Sam Rinzel have both been sent to the Rockford IceHogs.
The Blackhawks have sent Sam Rinzel and Landon Slaggert down to Rockford.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) December 8, 2025
Slaggert was expected. Rinzel wasn't. But this does feel like the right time for a confidence reset for him.
It’s been a rough first few months of this season for Rinzel, who skated 20-plus minutes per game regularly back in October but has steadily trended downward since, with the reduced role indicative of his on-ice struggles. His ice time sank as low as 9:30 during last week’s shootout loss in Vegas and has only eclipsed 15 minutes twice in the last 13 games. He has a goal and seven assists this season, although he’s been without a point in the last five games and picked up two of those assists in an otherwise forgetful 9-3 debacle against the Buffalo Sabres a few weeks ago. In the last three games, Rinzel’s expected goal shares have been just 17.53 percent, 27.59 percent and 10.73 percent, respectively. As Pope suggested, perhaps this is a brief step back that helps Rinzel rediscover the on-ice performance that was evident during his nine-game stint at the end of last season.
Slaggert’s situation was different, mostly highlighted by his lack of inclusion in the lineup. He’s played in just 10 games this season with one goal and an average ice time of only 9:04. His most consistent position this season has been as a healthy scratch, and Slaggert hasn’t appeared in a game since skating just 4:53 in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 26.