Rizzo was an afterthought in the 2019 NHL draft, but he’s not flying below the radar anymore.
Rizzo was an afterthought in the 2019 NHL draft, but he’s not flying below the radar anymore.
For some NHL prospects, their journey is a smooth, straight road on their way to the NHL: from AAA to major junior to being a high pick in the NHL draft to making their debut in the big leagues. Others may have journeys that require a few pit stops along the way, but valuable nonetheless. Each path taken is unique but the one that Massimo Rizzo is currently on should make him a prospect everyone keeps their eyes on.
Rizzo was a seventh-round pick (216th overall) by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL draft, when he was playing for the Penticton Vees of the B.C. Jr. A League (BCHL) at the time. While he put up an impressive 40 points in 37 games, not many could have predicted how well he would eventually transition to the NCAA.
As a freshman at the University of Denver, Rizzo was entrusted to play in all situations and the rewards came in bunches, as he finished the 2021-22 season with 12 goals and 36 points in 39 games on a stacked Pioneers team that included NHL draft picks such as Bobby Brink (Philadelphia), Carter Savoie (Edmonton), Cole Guttman (Chicago) and Carter Mazur (Detroit).
Rizzo returned to the Pioneers and took another giant leap forward as a sophomore, catching the attention of many around the country thanks to his impressive 46 points in 38 games, taking home his team’s scoring title while finishing 11th in the nation in total points, ahead of prospects such as Matthew Knies (Toronto), Alex Laferriere (Los Angeles) and Mackie Samoskevich (Florida).
His impressive season caught the eyes of Flyers’ management and they pulled the trigger to acquire him (along with a 2025 fifth-round pick) last summer, in a deal that saw them trade David Kase back to the Hurricanes.
Fast-forward to today and Rizzo is making the Flyers look incredibly smart for acquiring him, as he is currently second in the NCAA in scoring, with an incredible 44 points in 28 games. What has allowed Rizzo to continue developing as quickly as he has is his innate ability to be a difference-maker in all three zones when he’s on the ice.
Rizzo takes smart routes to the puck, using his foot speed to close gaps on opponents and force them to move the puck under pressure. As seen in the clip below, he uses his quick stick to reach around the defender, knocking the puck loose to create an odd-man rush and outwaits the defender to find his teammate cross-seam for the easy goal. He’s always around the puck when he is on the ice and that is a skill that will serve him well when he moves to the professional level.
His awareness in small areas and ability to find open space in the offensive zone are two other skills that have allowed him to find success at the NCAA level. In the sequence below, he showcases both skills by creating an offensive-zone chance while drawing in two defenders, opening up a lane for his teammate in open ice, and hitting him with a quick pass before Devine deposits the puck in the back of the net.
In a November conversation with Philly Hockey Now, ex-Pioneers teammate and current Flyer Brink spoke about not knowing if Rizzo would sign with the Flyers.
“I haven’t talked to him since he was traded,” Brink said. “I have no idea what he’s going to do and what his decision’s gonna be, or what the club’s gonna do.”
While his rights don’t expire until the summer of 2025, if the Flyers can sign Rizzo, they will certainly be smiling when looking back on the trade that brought him to the City of Brotherly Love.