It will be interesting to see how he transitions.
I loved the pick at the time and the Black Hawks back end is looking very promising for the future, the forwards need a lot of help though.
RD Sam Rinzel - Univ of Minnesota , NCAA (2022, 25th, CHI)
- Thread starter Pavel Buchnevich
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I loved the pick at the time and the Black Hawks back end is looking very promising for the future, the forwards need a lot of help though.
Putt Pirate
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Hoping that gets addressed this and next draft. But, Lardis, Boisvert, etc. seem to be trending very well so help is coming. getting the D locked in first is a nice way the have started the rebuild. Tougher to get that right and they seem to have done that so far.
Faber played three years for the Gophers, and we know how that played out.
Lacombe played 4 years for them, and he is doing great.
Both players spent next to no time in the AHL.
Rinzel has spent two years in the NCAA, and while he always was considered talented, was also considered unpolished, and a bit of a project. CHI would be wise to let him cook for another year in college, then have him hit the ground running with the Hawks in the spring of 26. The AHL isn't always the best option for a young guy, especially compared to another year in a good college program with a proven track record of producing NHL'ers.
Lacombe played 4 years for them, and he is doing great.
Both players spent next to no time in the AHL.
Rinzel has spent two years in the NCAA, and while he always was considered talented, was also considered unpolished, and a bit of a project. CHI would be wise to let him cook for another year in college, then have him hit the ground running with the Hawks in the spring of 26. The AHL isn't always the best option for a young guy, especially compared to another year in a good college program with a proven track record of producing NHL'ers.
Rinzel had that gap year in the USHL after the draft, so it's hard to make a straight comparison to other guys who went straight to the NCAA in their D+1. The Blackhawks also really like how dmen have been developing in Rockford over the past few years, which will certainly influence the way they see it.
Kind of like Levshunov this year, I don't think there's necessarily a wrong answer for what you do with Rinzel next year. He probably wouldn't be hurt at all by another year in college, but he also could benefit from being challenged as a pro. I suspect that if he has a chance to sign this spring, get some NHL games and burn a year, he does it, and then spends ~2/3rds of next season in Rockford before joining the NHL team around the TDL
He’s going to be very good. I expect he will struggle at first, but round into form nicely in his mid-20s
Sure but I'm talking about some veteran skilled forwards who could be showing some leadership for the young guys.
Players like Bertuzzi, Teravainen, Dickinson and Morron just aren't getting it done.
Hockey Duckie
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Going the USHL route is not equal to NCAA level of competition. Minnesota does have a very good track record with Faber and LaCombe spending at least 3 years in the NCAA. Rinzel didn't think he was ready to make the NCAA jump in his D+1 season and stayed in the USHL. By delaying the NCAA jump, he was able to acclimate faster to the NCAA game. Maybe delaying the jump to the NHL (or AHL) would be the prudent move. At least if he stays with Minnesota (NCAA) for year 3, then there is a higher probability he just sticks at the NHL level and bypass Rockford. Also, Rinzel can develop his body better for another year than playing at the AHL and not having a set schedule for working as well as resting.
I like what Rockford does for the 'Hawks d-men prospects, except for Korchinski's development. He might be a longer project.
Dr Jan Itor
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dj Mahoney
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Rinzel is still raw . He needs another year imo. His frame can easily carry an extra 20lbs that will serve him well in pro hockey .Oliver Moore could use another year to polish his offence .
Rinzel was talented but raw coming out of MNHS. He played for Chaska, a small town that plays lesser teams, so he wasn't playing against the perennial powers in MNHS for the most part, though i remember that they tried to beef up their schedule a bit, mainly because of him. The Gophers team was also loaded on D(Faber, Lacombe, 1st rounders Johnson and Chesley, all of the rest NHL draftees) when he came out of HS, so going to the USHL was the right move for him.
He has been checked out since the article came out about the Hawks having a spot for him and Moore whenever they want. He will go and spend a significant amount of time in the AHL, whereas if he came back for one more year he may never see an AHL roster.
He was a senior in HS the year he played USHL... He didn't have the option to go straight to the U after being drafted.
If he comes back to the U one more year, he can use the Wheeler "loophole" to become a UFA, if he'd like. That's why Chicago is pushing for him now.
WarriorofTime
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I disagree. I believe he can opt for free agency on July 1, 2026 if he'd like, unless that "loophole" has been closed.
WarriorofTime
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It's tied to the August 15th that is four years from when your entering class starts.
Again I disagree based on my years following college hockey and seeing players play a year of USHL before going to college.
Blake Wheeler
Justin Schultz
Mike Reilly
WarriorofTime
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You're looking at an outdated CBA provision, those were players drafted before 2013. The date is August 15th for one, this comes up every year with the unsigned guys that become free agents, so it's not really up for dispute if the date is June 15th or August 15th.
College Players.
(iii) If a Player drafted at age 18 or 19, who had received a Bona Fide Offer in accordance with Section 8.6(a)(ii) above, becomes a bona fide college student prior to the second June 1 following his selection in the EntryDraft and remains a bona fide college student through the graduation of his college class, his drafting Club shall retain the exclusive rights of negotiation for his services through and including the August 15 following the graduation of his college class.
For purposes of the above provisions, the term "graduation of his college class" shall mean the class with which the Player is scheduled to graduate during his final semester of attendance (as opposed to his matriculating class (the class with which he is expected to graduate as of the date of his original enrollment)). For purposes of clarity, a Player's graduating class may change during his tenure in college.
The only murkiness comes from players that perhaps graduate in 3 years instead of 4 years based on the "For purposes of clarity" that suggest a player may be able to rush their graduation in order to become a Free Agent earlier.
Explain this one please:
Chase Bradley Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Statistics of Chase Bradley, a hockey player from St. Louis, MO born Jan 9 2002 who was active from 2018 to 2025.
www.hockeydb.com
Free agency on July 1 after three years of college (four years after draft). Aka the Wheeler loophole.
Or this one or this one
Jake Massie Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Statistics of Jake Massie, a hockey player from Montreal, PQ born Jan 21 1997 who was active from 2015 to 2025.
www.hockeydb.com
Cal Petersen Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com
Statistics of Cal Petersen, a hockey player from Waterloo, IA born Oct 19 1994 who was active from 2011 to 2025.
www.hockeydb.com
Mrfenn92
Proud to be American
Will wait for the explanation of the above three drafted 2013 and later that went free agent July 1 after their third college season.
CallMeShaft
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From what I've read, he still needs to play all four years of college.
Not that it matters, I expect him to sign here in a few weeks. Maybe a mistake, who knows. There are pros and cons to him staying in Minny or going to Rockford next season. If the Hogs didn't have a solid track record recently with developing D, I'd say no way should we sign him now. But they've done a good job with pretty much everyone, including Korchinski, who's developmental struggles are due to not being able to play down there last season when it was the right place for that stage of development.
Not that it matters, I expect him to sign here in a few weeks. Maybe a mistake, who knows. There are pros and cons to him staying in Minny or going to Rockford next season. If the Hogs didn't have a solid track record recently with developing D, I'd say no way should we sign him now. But they've done a good job with pretty much everyone, including Korchinski, who's developmental struggles are due to not being able to play down there last season when it was the right place for that stage of development.
WarriorofTime
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Here's the speculation from a poster here.
Well ya, that's exactly what they do... They de-register from school to become free agents on July 1. Same exact thing Justin Schultz and all the others have done for years...Here's the speculation from a poster here.
Feel like I'm taking crazy pills lol.
WarriorofTime
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Not really sure what you're talking about, there's a reason it doesn't come up very often, but in any event, it's all a hypothetical. As a rebuilding team with a youth movement, with Seth Jones multi-year commitment gone, only 1 veteran RHD in the org in Murphy whose contract expires after 2025-26, the Blackhawks would be a good fit for Rinzel who would make the NHL roster if he's ready with less concern about them running off to sign veterans to fill his spot. His only real long-term competition is Levshunov and then you have a guy like Crevier with a lower ceiling. So there's little reason to think Rinzel would be angling for the Free Agent game if the Blackhawks would like to sign him which they very likely would.
