Sam Rinzel

May 2023 – Rinzel had a decent year in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks, posting nine goals and 27 assists over 58 games.  He will be moving on to play with the University of Minnesota this upcoming 2023-2024 season.  He has taken positive strides in his game with increased power play and time on ice of over a minute on average from his previous season.  There are no surprises here with Rinzel not making the jump to the NHL, because he still needs time to further develop. As he consistently gains the trust of his team and coach, his confidence will hopefully continue to increase. Puneet Sharma

October 2022 – Rinzel was drafted straight out of Chaska High School in Minnesota. He will continue to play in the USHL with the Waterloo Black Hawks and attend the University of Minnesota next year. Most scouts believe that Rinzel looks to be the most NHL-ready defenseman coming straight out of high school, which is obviously not going to happen. For the best interest of the club and Rinzel, it makes sense for him to go to the University of Minnesota and further develop his skills. At this age and size, he is an above-average skater with great offensive potential. His defensive flaw is that he does not hit as much as he should, but that may come with time as he gets older and puts on more weight. The timeline for Rinzel is still three to four years away as such, there is no expectation for him to jump to the next level until he is ready. Puneet Sharma

July 2022 – The Chicago Blackhawks traded up to 25th overall and selected Rinzel with their third pick of the first round in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

May 2022 – Rinzel has been a bit of a late riser in the 2022 draft class. He was dominant at the high school level but it can be difficult to project how players from that level might adjust to a step up in competition. The Minnesota native was able to answer some of those questions with a late-season run with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL, registering a pair of goals to go along with eight assists in 21 games.

Rinzel’s greatest attribute is his mobility as it allows him to control the transition game and drive play from the back end. He has a strong first pass but he is also plenty capable of skating the puck out of trouble on his own to turn play in a positive direction for his team. Though it may be something that gets reigned in a bit as he climbs the ranks, he doesn’t hesitate to push for offense and jump into the play when he sees an opportunity to do so. In the offensive zone, he controls the blue line well and has good vision to find open teammates or jump into space himself for a scoring chance. Defensively, Rinzel utilizes his rangy frame and active stick to break up rush attempts or take away passing lanes. He is adept at guiding oncoming attackers where he wants them to go and engages with his checks to discourage pass attempts but his overall defensive game is still a work in progress and it will be something to monitor as he continues his development. While he is still a raw prospect, Rinzel has an intriguing toolbox and his potential as a top-four defender at the NHL level could see him selected as early as the back end of the first round in the 2022 draft. Nick Richard