The Chicago Blackhawks have apparently seen enough struggles from young defenseman Artyom Levshunov recently to recognize that more help is needed on the blue line.
On Friday afternoon, the Blackhawks recalled 21-year-old Sam Rinzel from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Rinzel, the 27th overall pick in 2022, opened his rookie year in the NHL with Chicago, recording eight points (1G, 7A) in 28 games before getting sent down to the minor leagues on Dec. 8.
#Blackhawks have recalled Sam Rinzel from Rockford. Seven defensemen are on the NHL roster again.
We’ll see if Rinzel draws in for Arty Levshunov tonight, or if Jeff Blashill goes back to seven dmen in the lineup.
Rinzel had 10 points (2G, 8A) in 19 games during his AHL stint. pic.twitter.com/gFDrYkG3ZN
— Jack Bushman (@JackBushman2) January 30, 2026
In 19 AHL games with the IceHogs, Rinzel tallied two goals and eight assists for 10 points. He got an opportunity to play more minutes than he was receiving while up with the Blackhawks, and his offensive production was much more consistent.
With Levshunov coming off a minus-five performance in the Blackhawks’ 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, it seems likely that Rinzel will replace Levshunov in the lineup for Friday’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. That, or head coach Jeff Blashill goes back to a seven-defenseman lineup, which he frequently used in the first quarter of the season.
It’s been a brutal start to 2026 for Levshunov, as he’s in the midst of a nine-game point drought and has a minus-14 rating in January. The Blackhawks have been outscored 16-3 with Levshunov on the ice at even strength over the last 12 games.
Offensively, Levshunov hasn’t provided the same impact as he did earlier in the year, while his defensive issues have reached somewhat of a boiling point. It’s become clear that he’s not ready for a true top-four role right now, and Rinzel’s re-addition could lead to more sheltered minutes for him moving forward. He could also receive a brief reset over the weekend, should he not play against Columbus. The Blackhawks will have Saturday and Sunday off following the back-to-back.
For Rinzel, it will be fascinating to see how he fares in his second NHL stint of the season, given that he also was going through rookie struggles before an early-December demotion. Much like Levshunov right now, his offensive play had dipped, and he was struggling in his own end. We’ll see if his time in Rockford helped clean up some deficiencies.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: