advertisement

Hagel's NHL debut should come Wednesday with Blackhawks

With Drake Caggiula missing practice with a hand injury Tuesday, there's a good chance Brandon Hagel will make his NHL debut when the Blackhawks host San Jose on Wednesday.

Hagel, taken by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Hawks in October. He's been called up numerous times this season, but has yet to play.

Hagel scored 41 goals in 66 games for the WHL's Red Deer Rebels last season, and he leads Rockford this season with 19 goals in 59 games.

"I can bring a lot of speed and passion for the game," the 21-year-old said. "My work ethic's one of my biggest things (as well as) getting in on the forecheck and just doing simple things to help the team win. I've just got to stick with the way I play."

Hagel skated on the third line with Kirby Dach (center) and Dominik Kubalik at practice.

Coach Jeremy Colliton loves the way the 6-foot-1, 174-pounder sticks his nose in the "dirty areas" and he's excited to see the scrappy forward in action.

"He can make some plays too," Colliton said. "We'll see how it translates (in the NHL). You never really know.

"But I think he can bring a lot of the (little) things. Get to the net, get under guys' skin, be a little rat out there, and we'll take some of that."

Tweaking things:

The Hawks, who are 0-for-14 on the power play over the last five games, mixed up the units a bit during practice Tuesday. The top unit now consists of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach and Duncan Keith. Dach was playing the net-front role.

Dominik Kubalik slid down to the second unit and was joined by Dylan Strome, Alex Nylander, Brandon Saad and defenseman Lucas Carlsson.

When the Hawks are at even strength against San Jose on Wednesday, look for Saad and DeBrincat to be on the top line with Toews.

Slap shot:

Adam Boqvist (concussion protocol) did not practice and the Hawks recalled defenseman Nicolas Beaudin on Tuesday afternoon. Beaudain, whom the Hawks drafted 27th overall in 2018, has 3 goals and 12 assists in 59 games with Rockford this season.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.