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The Chicago Blackhawks are down to their final five games of the season and only one of them will be played at the United Center over the next eight days. With Sunday’s win at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is likely that the team won’t drop below second-to-last in the league standings. This is the exact position that they finished a season ago in a draft lottery where the order did not change at all.
Chicago will hit the ice against the Penguins again on Tuesday, but this time it will be at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The theme for that game will be similar to that of the past month or so surrounding the Blackhawks youth movement. The overall vibe around the team and culture has appeared to have shifted as of late and the rebuild has taken on a whole new direction.
The Blackhawks front office has made eight first round draft choices from the 2022-2024 drafts and six of them are now playing at the NHL level. While there is still plenty of work to do from a development standpoint, general manager Kyle Davidson has done well with his decisions so far.
The last 2022 first round selection of the Blackhawks made his debut over a week ago and has already impressed the current coaching staff in his short stint at the highest level.
Chicago Blackhawks bench boss impressed by Sam Rinzel
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has loved what he has seen from Sam Rinzel so far in just four games, and it’s easy to see why.
“He’s mature, Sorensen said. “We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck. He takes control in shifts, and you see it in Arty (Levshunov) as well. They want it, and they want to get after it. [The Penguins] have some guys on the other side that do the same thing with (Erik) Karlsson and (Kris) Letang. You see that.”
Having the top two right-shot defenseman having any type of comparisons to the likes of Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang has to make Blackhawk fans excited for the future. Rinzel collected his first NHL point in Sunday’s win over the Penguins on a secondary assists. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher also finished the game with a +2 plus/minus rating which is the best mark he has posted through four career games.
Sam Rinzel will anchor the Chicago Blackhawks blue line next year
Rinzel coming in and getting over 20 minutes of ice time from the jump to begin his career is a telling sign that the organization already has plenty of trust that he will be a marquee player down the road. The 20-year-old has already worked himself into quarterbacking the top power-play unit, with his offensively ceiling being through the roof.
The scoring chances that Rinzel has generated for himself and those around him in four games has been extremely noticeable and good results will follow as he prepares to enter his first full NHL season in the fall. For a guy seen as a “project” when taken with the 25th overall pick in 2022, things have panned out nicely so far for Rinzel in the Blackhawks organization.
More must-reads:
- Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
- Troubling update emerges about Joel Embiid’s health
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Is Kirill Kaprizov worth a record-setting contract?
All signs point to the Minnesota Wild signing All-Star winger Kirill Kaprizov to a massive extension this summer. Recent reports suggest that the Wild will likely sign Kaprizov to an eight-year, $120M contract. This deal would surpass Leon Draisaitl’s contract for the league’s highest average annual value (AAV). Still, it would fall $4M short of Alex Ovechkin’s record for the largest contract ever signed in the NHL. This raises the question: Is Kaprizov worth such a significant investment? Unfortunately, Kaprizov is coming off the worst season of his career thanks to injuries. He finished the campaign with 41 games played in the regular season, and another six in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he missed half the season, he scored 25 goals in 56 games, finishing third on the team in scoring and 16th in Hart Memorial Trophy voting. Finishing that high in team-scoring for a playoff team while losing half the year to injuries is a testament to Kaprizov’s value. Since joining Minnesota for the 2020-21 NHL season, he’s scored 185 goals and 386 points in 319 games, far and away the highest on the team over that stretch. Kaprizov’s contract demands ultimately come down to one equation. Assuming he’s signed to the $15M figure, Minnesota must ask if he’s worth 14.4% of their cap for the 2026-27 season, and even less throughout the subsequent years. It’s a fairly easy equation to sort through. Over the past five years, Kaprizov has been directly involved in 386 goals scored by the Wild. To understand his impact, we can analyze his point contribution to the total number of goals the entire team has scored during that period. Since Kaprizov began his career, Minnesota has scored 1,197 goals. Factoring in Kaprizov’s contributions, it’s easy to ascertain he’s been involved in 32.2% of the Wild’s goals, despite missing many games due to injuries. Given that he’s accounted for one-third of the team’s offense since coming into the league, it seems like an easy investment to make for the Wild. Unfortunately, his injuries are cause for concern, and they could become an issue throughout negotiations when agreeing to a final dollar amount. Regardless, the good news is that Minnesota appears to realize exactly what they have in Kaprizov. Their only pathway to contention runs through him, and they’re seemingly ready to recognize him financially for that. His hypothetical $15M AAV won’t last long as the league’s highest, with Connor McDavid prepared to earn more on his next contract with the Edmonton Oilers, or elsewhere. Still, although it’s not commonplace to make wingers some of the league’s highest-paid, Kaprizov is worth every penny.
25-time Grammy winner's sports agency blasts Jerry Jones for 'comical' comment
The Dallas Cowboys may have 99 problems, and the way owner Jerry Jones handles contract negotiations could be considered a big one. Jones spoke with the media Saturday regarding Micah Parsons' contract situation. The EDGE, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, has requested a trade. The 82-year-old owner clarified the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons. While discussing negotiations, Jones took an unprovoked jab at former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant and his agent, rapper Jay-Z. "When we have a problem within the team and a player, I don't ever find the agent. He's nowhere to be found," Jones said. "...Jay-Z and I negotiated [Bryant's contract in 2015], spent hours. He said, 'Anybody in my organization is on time.' He said, 'My office used to be on the street corner, and I've always been early. So, they will be on time.' And I said, 'Where do I sign? But I'm going to call you.' Finally, he quit taking my call." The 25-time Grammy winner's sports agency, Roc Nation, took issue with Jones' comment. In a statement released on X Sunday, it denied his claim, calling it "comical." This is yet another example of Jones prioritizing attention when he should be focused on extending two-time first-team All-Pro Parsons. The Cowboys often delay deals for their stars. The team signed Bryant to a five-year, $70M deal in July 2015, just before the deadline to extend players with a franchise tag. Last season, Dallas signed quarterback Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240M contract ahead of its season opener against the Cleveland Browns. The team's procrastination often leaves it paying even more for star players and wastes valuable time. Parsons is still with the team at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., but isn't participating. He likely wants a contract that's similar to that of Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt (three years, $123M). The pass-rusher is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league. Jones' methods are one reason the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since the 1995 season. Jay-Z should mention that if he wants to write a single that includes a lyric about the owner.
Brock Lesnar makes shocking return at WWE SummerSlam
It's feeling like 2012 all over again. SummerSlam 2025 ended with shock and nostalgia when Brock Lesnar returned unannounced and dropped John Cena with a thunderous F5, just as Cena was addressing the crowd during his retirement tour. The moment felt poetic, mirroring the night after WrestleMania 28 in 2012, when Lesnar returned to WWE for the first time in eight years and F5’d Cena, launching a brutal and unforgettable rivalry. This attack wasn’t just for show. With Cena’s farewell tour expected to end in December, the timing of Lesnar’s return feels intentional. WWE is known for delivering emotional, high-stakes finales for its legends and this could be the setup for one last epic clash between two of the most iconic figures in company history. Their rivalry has always delivered, from their battles in 2012–14 to the infamous “Suplex City” beatdown at SummerSlam 2014. Now, with both men nearing the end of their in-ring careers, fans may be getting a final chapter in this storied feud. Whether it culminates at the Royal Rumble or on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 41, the anticipation is real. Lesnar has been off WWE TV for nearly a year, making this return even more impactful. For Cena, who has been embracing his final run with open arms, a showdown with Lesnar is a fitting, full-circle moment. It’s the kind of storytelling WWE thrives on — legacy vs. legacy, pride vs. redemption.
Braves star injured in Speedway Classic at Bristol
In a season full of hard luck for the Atlanta Braves, Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds brought more. Star third baseman Austin Riley exited the Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway after tagging out Elly De La Cruz at home plate and saving a run in the bottom of the first inning. Riley fielded a ball that was smoked to third base off the bat of Miguel Andujar and chased Cruz down at the plate to keep Cincinnati's lead at one run. The next time Riley came up in the batting order, however, it was 28-year-old Luke Williams who stepped into the batter's box. The official reason given for Riley's departure from the contest was lower abdominal pain. Riley struck out in his lone plate appearance on Sunday. Riley, 28, is hitting .260 for Atlanta in 415 at-bats this season. He's hit 16 home runs with a .309 on-base percentage in 101 games. Riley strained an abdominal muscle on July 11 in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which led to the Memphis, Tenn., native being on the injured list until July 25. Atlanta is hoping that the pain he suffered on Sunday doesn't lead to a long-term injury.
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