Through the first seven games of the season, it has been a tough start for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Sam Rinzel. The 22-year-old was expected to play top-pairing minutes and break out in a major way this season, as he enters a contract year before becoming a restricted free agent.
Dominating the hockey headlines as of late has been the messy contract stalemate between the Detroit Red Wings and restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
Sam Rinzel is one to watch heading into the season, considering he had a development year between the Rockford IceHogs and the Blackhawks last season. The 22-year-old remains a significant part of the defense going forward, so his progress is especially intriguing.
How many of the 22 players in NHL history with at least 600 career goals can you name in five minutes?
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a new two-year contract with restricted free agent defenseman Kevin Korchinski, the club announced Saturday afternoon.
People love a good mid-round draft pick that pans out, and in the NHL you used to see those fairly often, but that’s obviously partially luck. If the Red Wings thought Nicklas Lidstrom was going to become a top-five defenseman in history, they wouldn’t have waited until the 53rd pick to take him.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, Sam Rinzel took the Chicago Blackhawks’ fanbase by storm. Expectations were set high for Rinzel in his first full season, and he’s next as we look back at the 2025-26 season for player grades.
The Chicago Blackhawks finished their 2025-26 campaign 31st in the league, with a record of 29-39-14 and 72 points. It was an improvement from last season’s totals of 25-46-11 (61 points), but the organization had more progress in mind when they embarked on this campaign.
One of the worst things to come out of the trade deadline seems to be the notion that there is a possibility that Matthew Knies might not be a Maple Leaf in 2026-27.
Now, with the NHL Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, it’s time to get you up to date with our second mock draft of 2026.
The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled defense prospects Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel from AHL Rockford. Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Feb.
2/5/2026: The Blackhawks reassigned Rinzel back to Rockford today, returning him to the AHL in time for the Olympic break. Rinzel played in three NHL games during his most recent recall, tallying one goal.
People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.
The Chicago Blackhawks recalled defenseman Sam Rinzel from the Rockford IceHogs on Jan. 30 ahead of their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The move gave fellow rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov a beneficial break, giving him “a chance to reset some foundational things,” according to head coach Jeff Blashill.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a move to fortify their blue-line. Top prospect Sam Rinzel has been recalled to the NHL, putting him on the Blackhawks roster for the first time in 2026.
The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Dec. 8 that they sent defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Landon Slaggert to the Rockford IceHogs. This news comes after a road trip in which the Blackhawks went 1-2-1, and it benefits everyone involved.
The Chicago Blackhawks entered the season with high hopes for young defenseman Sam Rinzel, especially after his impressive NHL debut last spring and steady early-season play.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a 9-5-4 record this season and have been a pleasant surprise, performing well. They have shown early on to be a resilient team, but, as in any other NHL season, they will face adversity, and their current injury report is significant.
The Chicago Blackhawks are once again relying on a developmental strategy that has already paid off once this season. After watching rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov take a significant leap following a brief healthy scratch earlier this fall, the Hawks have now applied that same reset approach to fellow rookie Sam Rinzel.
The Chicago Blackhawks have started the season on a surprisingly strong note, sparking renewed optimism among fans who are beginning to dream about a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
A player in the Chicago Blackhawks system getting a lot of buzz is Sam Rinzel. Despite only playing nine games in the NHL, he registered five assists in those appearances, and several reports say he looks to be a massive piece of the Blackhawks’ rebuild.
An influx of young talent defined the Chicago Blackhawks this season. From Frank Nazar joining the team in December to Ryan Greene debuting at the end of the season, fans tasted the fruit of the seeds that have been sown for several years now.
Sunday was an important day for the Chicago Blackhawks, with two more former first-round picks making their NHL debuts in the United Center. Oliver Moore
The 20-year-old was the 25th overall selection by Chicago back in 2022.
Two exceptional college players are moving on up. The Chicago Blackhawks are set to sign forward Oliver Moore and defenseman Sam Rinzel to entry-level contracts.
Some of the top NHL prospects stood out during the first round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey tournament on Friday.
Sam Rinzel of the University of Minnesota has been named the Defensive Player of the Year in Big Ten hockey. Rinzel is a highly touted prospect in the Blackhawks pipeline, selected 25th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, that's no secret. On Tuesday, that pool of talent received another metaphorical notch in its belt with news out of the University of Minnesota.
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