| Sam Rinzel | Chaska | Minnesota HS | R | D | 6’4″ | 181 | Minnesota | Chanhassen, MN | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
UMHSEHL: SIT Financial Services vs TCO, September 14, 2021: “Incredible skater for his size, very smooth and fluid with or without the puck. He uses his reach and lateral mobility to shut down line rushes early in the neutral zone. There were times when it looked like the other team wanted nothing to do with his side of the ice. It was obvious that he cared about his end and that he wanted to everything he could to keep the puck out of his net. Showed the ability to carry the puck out of trouble and generate scoring chances off of the cycle. On one play he possessed the puck for an extended time before drawing the other team’s defenders to him and giving his teammate an open net tap in. High ceiling player” said Neutral Zone’s Brian Murphy
U18: Team USA vs Team Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, August 3, 2021: It was an interesting game for Rinzel. He only played 9:04 in the 5-3 loss, but he had 6 takeaways versus 0 giveaways and 3 shots on goal including 1 grade A scoring attempt after jumping into the rush which allowed him to fire a one timer from the high slot. In the defensive zone there were times that he drifted too high or became hyper focused on the puck, but his reach and athleticism allowed him to recover quickly and avoid really getting into trouble. He defended the with his stick on the ice and disguised his poke check very well. In transition Rinzel showed the ability to one touch bouncing turnovers into the hands of his forwards quickly. Overall we liked his skating posture and his ability to reverse escape while under pressure in the neutral zone. His edge control was powerful and balanced, his first touch was clean and he showed acceleration when pulling away from Swedish forwards. The 6’4 righty will have a NHL eyes on him on a nightly basis.
National Camp: USA Hockey Selects 17’s, July 14, 2021: Rinzel is a prospect who is not climbing rather flying up the charts after going undrafted in the USHL Futures Draft and then going in the early 2nd round in this years USHL Entry Draft to coming here and making the Hlinka team and was arguably the most sought after prospect by NHL scouts. He’s got a tall, long frame that can add muscle without losing mobility; he’s highly athletic; he has a long, fluid stride and soft hands. He finished third on Chaska HS in points with 25 in 19 games despite being a defenseman and displayed a strong two-way game here. He is an effortless puck carrier, he can accelerate with the puck through the neutral zone and lead rushes up ice and his reach and wingspan allow him to shield the puck and trick defenders on the rush. He can walk the line with his lateral mobility and has a heavy one-timer and quick release wrist shot that he gets through traffic. Defensively he’s tough to get around on the rush because of his massive reach and his mobility which allows him to play tighter gaps than most defenders his size and while he isn’t overly physical he can angle and seal off opponents on the rush. What is so impressive about Rinzel’s game is that he does a lot of things that are rare for 6’3”+ defenders; he can spin off forecheckers and escape pressure with a host of deke moves or simple puck protection and he walks opponents at the offensive blue line like they are just in the way and then get shots to the net. We watched him closely in the All-Star games to see if he was just taking advantage of weaker players but he could play the exact same game in the All-Star games that he played in the regular games which showed an exciting upside and that his game will translate at higher levels. A high ceiling NHL prospect who will have every team in the league watching him this upcoming season. Grade: A
MN High School: Hill Murray vs Chaska, January 21, 2021: Sam is a big D-man who was solid and very noticeable with his length and ability to create offense with his ability to read the ice and find the open players. He always made the correct play. He didn’t force his passes or shooting attempts. Had a nice assist on the PP by using his patience and getting his shot through for a rebound. He boxed guys out net front and allowed his goalie to see the shot. Grade A-
U16: SSM vs. Minnesota Moose, September 25, 2020: Rinzel is a big Dman who had a great game tonight, and was a big reason for his team walking away with a tie. He is a good skater that likes to jump up in the rush to create odd man situations. He scored a nice goal in the first period entering the zone with patience and holding the puck looking for open players. He decided to shoot the puck on net and was able to get it through about four bodies and past the goalie. Most impressive part of Rinzel’s game is his ability to consistently make the smart play with the puck. He didn’t force passes or shots, but also didn’t pass up on offensive opportunities as well. A very solid game for Rinzel. Grade: A
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images