Following a standout season at the University of Minnesota, Sam Rinzel joined the Chicago Blackhawks and dazzled in his first NHL stint.
Another day, another young piece of the Chicago Blackhawks’ future is in the spotlight. After grading Oliver Moore’s first cup of coffee in the NHL, we turn to his Minnesota teammate, Sam Rinzel.
Story of the Season
Apr 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel (6) and Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) chase the puck during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Sam Rinzel burst onto the scene in his second season at the University of Minnesota. After a very respectable freshman campaign, Rinzel took a massive step forward, drawing a lot of national attention in his sophomore year. The defenseman won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, a huge accolade for the defensive prospect. After recording 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 40 games, Rinzel signed with the Blackhawks for a nine-game tryout.
Once arriving in Chicago, Rinzel took the fanbase by storm. The right-handed defenseman played top-pairing minutes and did not disappoint. He exceeded 20 minutes of ice time in all nine games played, tallying five assists along the way. The defenseman did an incredible job being aggressive, jumping plays in the neutral zone and quickly negating offensive pushes by opponents. Of any player that made their debut in the 2024-25 season, Rinzel should be the top lock to make the team this fall.
Once considered a questionable pick at the end of the first round in 2022, Rinzel has blossomed into a potential top-pairing defenseman. He and Alex Vlasic look like they could be the pillars of the blue line for the next decade-plus. There is still a lot that needs to be seen, but the overall outlook is aggressively positive at this point in time.
Player Grades
Steve Kwiatkowski’s Grade: A-
Does this one need explaining? Look, Rinzel was highly praised during his final year in the NCAA. What I didn’t expect was to see is a young defenseman who looked so natural in his first look at the NHL. He’s not perfect, and we haven’t seen a lot of games from him, but he is very promising.
Tony Marchese’s Grade: A
Where did this guy come from? That was the question opponents and fans alike were asking when Rinzel made his debut late in the season. Despite not finding the back of the net in his small sample size at the NHL level, his awareness, skating, and just about everything else about his game looked as if it belonged at the NHL level already. Extremely impressive debut.
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Ron Luce’s Grade: A-
Rinzel was a player that resulted in head scratches when originally drafted, but as he developed at Minnesota people began to take notice. This past season, he was spectacular at Minnesota and really developed into a top blue liner for them. Once joining the Hawks, he played a ton of minutes, made a huge impact, and consistently made notable defensive plays. He still has little things to iron out, but he is well ahead of where I personally expected him to be and should absolutely make the team out of camp next season.
What’s On Tap Next?
Sam Rinzel has the clearest path to making the NHL roster this fall after his impressive debut stint. Although there will be plenty of growing pains over an 82-game sample size, Rinzel should be a fixture on the team’s top defensive pairing in 2025-26. Training camp will be a quality benchmark for Rinzel, but it will take something unforeseen to force him to Rockford in the fall.
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