The best move for Sam Rinzel's long-term development

The 11-forward, 7-defensemen project is starting to show its flaws, which means the conventional system should be in place for the Blackhawks moving forward. The team just gets too gassed on offense while the defense looks lost. All this is due to a lack of chemistry. No matter how close this group is as people, they look lost playing with each other on the ice. With this said, there has to be a switch with a forward and a defenseman, and Sam Rinzel is likely the odd-man out.

A Trip to Rockford Will Do Some Good

While the AHL is a lot more physical than the NHL, Rinzel would benefit from an extended stay. Let's look at the right-handed defensemen the Blackhawks have in the lineup at the moment: Connor Murphy, Artyom Levshunov, and Louis Crevier. Based on the performance of all three, I don't see room for Sam Rinzel to get much playing time when Levshunov takes his ideal role: puck-mover, power-play quarterback, and offensive defenseman.

Rinzel seems lost more often than not at the NHL level in his own zone, generally missing assignments in which zone he should be covering. Sometimes he puck-watches and leaves his responsibility wide open for a high-danger chance against. His speed is there, yes, but his passing and responsibility with the puck need to improve.

The most important thing for Rinzel's development is that he gets top-pairing minutes, given that he is expected to fill a second-pairing role in the NHL. Levshunov is starting to earn top minutes (around 22 minutes per game) in the NHL, showing glimpses of his potential. The seven-defensemen strategy is not sustainable for this team, as they looked gassed after three or so games. This also works out for the defense to have more synergy with a specific pairing rather than rotating partners.

Rinzel will, without a doubt, improve with an AHL stint, learning how to play in the AHL as a top defenseman, then transition back to the NHL around February. Jeff Blashill commented on his most concerning rookie tendencies: not being the fifth man back, pinching in on pucks that shouldn't be, and allowing breakaways when he doesn't keep it in the zone. Having a stint in the AHL to polish his skills against lesser competition might work out better than just keeping him as a seventh defenseman.