RD Sam Rinzel - Univ of Minnesota , NCAA (2022, 25th, CHI)

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
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Big right shot defenseman at 6'4 who has a lot of tools. He skates very well, he's a good puck handler, and he's physical. He might need to work on some of his decision making. I'm not sure another year of High School hockey will do him well, but it seems like thats where he'll be playing this year. He's a player though that you'll probably hear more about towards the later part of the draft season as the high school guys start to rise in the rankings later on. He has top 2 round potential though.

Sam Rinzel at eliteprospects.com
 
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Prior

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Jan 18, 2020
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Seen him a few times last year. Probably will a couple more this year. There is a ton of talent coming out Chaska over the next 5-6 years so I’m guessing that is part of the reason he is staying. Former NHL s*** disturber Matt Cooke will also be the head coach of the team this year.

Rinzel reminds me a lot of Erik Johnson coming through high school. Does a lot of things very well, nothing truly elite level, but at his size and ability, he will be sought after.

Good skater for his size but definitely not at Chesley’s level from the backend from a MN perspective. He might be the best true skater to come out of MN in quite some time.
 

57special

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I suspect that Cooke will be good for that program at a time when they might have the best talent they have ever had. He trains hockey players, and is pretty plugged into modern methods of training, both off and on the ice.
 

PuckProspects

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Jul 23, 2018
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He has looked fantastic after two games in the Hlinka. Big and steady, very good skater, and great vision on the ice. Don't understand why he isn't playing more.
 
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Frk It

Mo Seider Less Problems
Jul 27, 2010
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Very intrigued by this kid as a developmental pick in the middle rounds. I see he is doing well the USHL so far though, so his stock might be on the rise soon.
 

Bonin21

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He's a bit unlucky being an early birthday in Minnesota and being draft eligible after his 11th grade year. With that he may not go as high as he would with his classmates, maybe 3rd-5th instead of 2nd-3rd, but in the end that doesn't really mean anything.

Excited to watch his development and see if the Gophers finally get the big skilled dman that meets expectations after quite a few that didn't (Glover/Collins/Rossini/Helgeson/Fischer).
 

57special

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Very intrigued by this kid as a developmental pick in the middle rounds. I see he is doing well the USHL so far though, so his stock might be on the rise soon.
??? He's played three games in the USHL, presumably early on before HS started, unless you have other info.
 

57special

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He would be a solid 2nd round pick. I think a lot of good sized Dmen will be picked in the 2nd...seems to be a promising crop.
 

Thechozen1

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Sep 8, 2021
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Huge upside guy, very few guys of that size can move like that. I would not find it surprising at all if he went in the first round.
Hopefully he’s on the JETS radar with their pick from the NYR at #30.

Would be happy if they came way with McGroarty and one of Rinzel, Chesley, Luneau or Casey after the 1st round.
 

57special

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I don’t know- there are a lot of big Dmen with upside in this draft who have played in better leagues than Rinzel. I see him more as a 2nd rounder.
 

57special

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If he's a 6'4'' RHD that can both skate and think the game well, he's going high in the draft because those kinds of players are extraordinarily rare.
But what level was he playing at? MNHS hockey(and Chaska HS is a lesser team, with a lesser strength of schedule) is not to be compared to the CHL, and some of the Euro players are playing in Men's leagues. He only played 21 games in the USHL, with 10 points. Very respectable, but nothing to write home about. I don't see where you can judge that he "thinks the game well"? At this point he is pretty well untested against higher levels of competition. Anyone taking him would be betting on his upside, but it'd be a risky bet.

K'Andre Miller, with a similar frame, was taken at #22, but he played far more games against better opposition on the USNDP teams for two years prior to the draft. Chaska HS hockey is not to be compared to USNDP.
 
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Vachon23

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But what level was he playing at? MNHS hockey(and Chaska HS is a lesser team, with a lesser strength of schedule) is not to be compared to the CHL, and some of the Euro players are playing in Men's leagues. He only played 21 games in the USHL, with 10 points. Very respectable, but nothing to write home about. I don't see where you can judge that he "thinks the game well"? At this point he is pretty well untested against higher levels of competition. Anyone taking him would be betting on his upside, but it'd be a risky bet.

K'Andre Miller, with a similar frame, was taken at #22, but he played far more games against better opposition on the USNDP teams for two years prior to the draft. Chaska HS hockey is not to be compared to USNDP.
Ryan McDonagh played in the same league and was draft top 15
Cale Makar was playing in Junior A league and was selected in the top 5

When you think a player can be dominant, you take him whatever the league he plays
 

Deep Blue Metallic

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Mar 5, 2021
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But what level was he playing at? MNHS hockey(and Chaska HS is a lesser team, with a lesser strength of schedule) is not to be compared to the CHL, and some of the Euro players are playing in Men's leagues. He only played 21 games in the USHL, with 10 points. Very respectable, but nothing to write home about. I don't see where you can judge that he "thinks the game well"? At this point he is pretty well untested against higher levels of competition. Anyone taking him would be betting on his upside, but it'd be a risky bet.

K'Andre Miller, with a similar frame, was taken at #22, but he played far more games against better opposition on the USNDP teams for two years prior to the draft. Chaska HS hockey is not to be compared to USNDP.
Of course it would "be a risky bet", but that's the very essence of scouting and projecting 17 year old players at 22, in the best of circumstances.
 

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