There are going to be plenty of rookies this season and the Calder Trophy race will once again be a battle. Top picks like Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are likely coming into the mix to compete against more established rookies coming out of college/university or the KHL/AHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a young team and have multiple players that will be eligible to win the Calder Trophy. The most interesting and a dark horse in my books is Sam Rinzel, while others include Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore, and long shots to play enough games in the NHL to even be considered with Ryan Greene, Ethan Del Mastro, Nick Lardis, and Aidan Thompson.
But let's dive into Rinzel. He looked very good and mature in his first nine games in the NHL at the end of last season. He recorded five assists, played top minutes on the power play and 5-on-5, and logged 1:30 of ice time per game on the penalty kill too. The 21-year-old developed nicely at the University of Minnesota the past two seasons and it allowed him to step in and play at a higher and more confident level right off the bat.
Rinzel also posted a 50% Corsi For % and an expected Goals For % of 56%. No other defenseman on the Blackhawks roster had 50% in either one of them. That might not stand for an entire season, but it's impressive nonetheless.
Minutes and opportunity are big factors in determining which players will be able to make enough of an impact to be considered for the Calder Trophy. You will find it very tough to name a rookie who will have the same playing time and opportunity as Rinzel. Due to the team he plays on, the other players around him not necessarily able to push too hard for his role, and what he showed last season, Rinzel will have every opportunity and should capitalize.
Being on the first power-play unit will be huge for him. Even if the power play isn't overly successful, which I see no reason they shouldn't be after finishing seventh in the NHL last season, Rinzel will still get many touches in the offensive zone while up a man or two. Then he will also make an impact in the defensive zone on the penalty kill and in important minutes because an aging Connor Murphy, who will be traded, or a less trusted group of Kevin Korchinski, Wyatt Kaiser, Levshunov, Nolan Allan, and Del Mastro won't automatically get better looks than Rinzel in those situations.
It will have to be a good year for Rinzel, but there's no indication that he can't build off of his first nine NHL games. You should hear his name in conversation for the Calder all season.
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