The Blackhawks have assigned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to AHL Rockford, the team announced this morning. There’s no corresponding transaction yet, but freeing up a roster spot may indicate winger Landon Slaggert could soon be ready to come off injured reserve.
Del Mastro, 22, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the fourth round in 2021 and made his big league debut three years later. The shutdown lefty enjoyed much more offensive success in his first pro season than anyone imagined, recording a 7-30–37 scoring line in 67 games for Rockford in 2023-24 in addition to his two-game, late-season NHL call-up. After his first taste of play with the Blackhawks, which saw him record two hits and a shot attempt while averaging 18:35 per game, he was sent back to Rockford to begin the 2024-25 campaign.
While his offense dried up, Del Mastro’s steady defensive play earned him a longer look in NHL minutes last year. Chicago first recalled him in January, and he spent the vast majority of the balance of the season up with the big club. He finished the season with a 2-4–6 scoring line in 24 appearances with a -3 rating, 21 blocks, and 40 hits while averaging 18:19 per contest. He didn’t see any special teams usage, but his even-strength possession impacts were promising, controlling 47.4% of shot attempts and 44.7% of expected goals – not impressive on their own but strong considering Chicago’s woeful possession control and Del Mastro’s defense-oriented deployment.
That showing led the Blackhawks to include him on their opening night roster earlier this week. He played their first game of the season against the Panthers on Tuesday, but was the odd man out when No. 1 defender Alex Vlasic was ready to return to the lineup last night after missing a game with a lower-body injury. Still with room to develop, Chicago would rather have Del Mastro playing regular minutes in Rockford than have him sit in Chicago’s press box. Del Mastro still has another season left to go until he’ll require waivers to head to the minors.
As for Slaggert, he started the year on IR after sustaining a minor hip injury in the preseason. It looked like opening night was a possibility for him initially, but he hasn’t been able to go yet. He’s eligible for activation before tomorrow’s game against the Canadiens.
Totally get the point about regular play but I was hoping he’d also stick with the Hawks this year. Still very early but Lev has looked a bit shakier to start so wouldn’t be shocked if they potentially swap the two if that continues over a longer period of time.
I know it’s a very small sample, but having watched the first 2 games, the defense is looking shaky, so far. Except for some outstanding play from Soderblom and Knight, both of the first 2 games would have been blowouts.
I hope the Hawks are shopping Murphy to any teams looking for defensive help currently. The young defensemen need to play every night. Murphy and Grezlyck need to be altering as the seventh defenseman. Neither one of these two are going to be part of the team going forward. The young d-men need time on the ice more than these two guys. We’ve got seven or eight d-men in the system that need to be evaluated. They shouldn’t waste time playing these two guys over the young guys. They’re here to cover for any unexpected injuries or sickness that pop up on game days.