Who will the Blackhawks send to Rockford during the Olympic break?

The Chicago Blackhawks have a busy next two weeks ahead of them. Spanning from Jan. 22 until Feb. 4, they have eight games in 14 days. That seems like abnormal scheduling at first glance, but this year’s NHL schedule is designed that way. The NHL will be sending players to the Milano Cortina Olympics, taking place from Feb. 6-22. Doing so means a three-week break from playing NHL hockey for the players going to the games.

The players not going to the games are split into two camps. One camp is composed of veterans who will use this time to rest up before practicing again once they are allowed to do so. The other is made up of rookies with minimal NHL experience. Those players will be loaned to the AHL to get some in-game action before being called back up. The Blackhawks have a few players that fit that category, and with the way Rockford is playing, they’ll be very helpful in their playoff push.

Two Will Definitely Be Sent Down, with One Being a Toss Up

Rockford’s nightmare season has sadly continued, straddling the line between making it in the Calder Cup Playoffs and being out of them. In their last 10 games, they are 3-6-0-1, which is not how they envisioned their season playing out after making necessary roster changes. Since last month, they’ve acquired Rem Pitlick and Jake Furlong, with the latter coming over in a trade with San Jose. Still, with divisional foes Milwaukee and Texas heating up over the last couple of weeks, they need another boost to solidify their playoff spot.

Fortunately, that boost is coming in the form of the Olympic break. Two players are for sure heading down in Nick Lardis and Landon Slaggert. Lardis was named as a participant in the AHL All-Star Classic on Feb. 10 and 11. Conveniently held in Rockford this year, he doesn’t have to travel in order to participate. Given the lack of scoring power, it seems giving him game action will help the team out as well. After all, he still leads them in scoring even though he hasn’t played for them in over a month.

Landon Slaggert is another safe bet for getting sent down to Rockford. He has constantly been called up and sent back down this season. Averaging around 11 minutes a game in Chicago, more playing time in Rockford over the break will help him rather than electing not send him down. He will also help the offense-barren team, as he had picked up points in 4 out of his 8 games played in Rockford. Having more NHL-experienced players on the team, even for just a few weeks, can definitely help them.

One name that could potentially be sent down is Oliver Moore. He’s done pretty well for himself with the Blackhawks this season, with five goals and 20 points in 38 games. It’s clear that he’s a huge part of their future plans. But Rockford’s performance this season could potentially force the Blackhawks’ hand to send him down during the Olympic break. There’s a reason he was called up only nine games into their season: he fired off 6 goals and 3 assists for a point-per-game output. But with Rockford’s playoff chances hanging in the balance, every little bit of help is important.

With the Olympic break lasting three weeks, several teams will send young players down to the AHL to gain more experience. The Blackhawks fit that criteria, but in a more urgent way. Even after some trades, Rockford is still struggling to score and get key victories. Sending down Lardis and Slaggert will definitely help them stay afloat in the playoff race. Potentially sending down Moore as well won’t hurt. With the break immediately preceding the trade deadline, these next few weeks will shape not only the Blackhawks’ future, but Rockford’s future as well.