This time around, we’re flipping the order to start with a different Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick.
USHL
Sam Rinzel, Waterloo Black Hawks
Stats: 11 points (1 G, 10 A), 54 SOG in 19 games
While the Blackhawks were busy losing to the New York Rangers on Sunday, at least prospect Sam Rinzel was having a good night. The defenseman had two assists for the US in their win over Canada East to claim the gold medal at the 2022 World Junior A tournament.
Rinzel was picked in the first round of the 2022 draft, and has had a pretty stable season for the Waterloo Black Hawks in the USHL, despite some worries from scouts about his consistency. So far, he has 10 assists and a goal in 19 games.
He was particularly lethal in this tournament, delivering four assists and one goal — which he scored by skating from coast to coast to slot the puck right above the glove of Canada East goalie Ethan Morrow.
🔚↔️🔚 Goal at the @HockeyCanada World Junior A Challenge!@BlckHawksHockey Defenseman Sam Rinzel of @usahockey went coast to coast and ripped it top cheddar 😱
A beauty from the @NHLBlackhawks 1st round pick and future @GopherHockey star.
Our @DaveDawson7 was on the call! pic.twitter.com/UoiTf3pR2J
— HNLive (@HNLiveCA) December 15, 2022
Rinzel led all US defensemen in assists, and in points he was second only to Eric Pohlkamp from the USHL’s Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Though he’s young (only 18 years old), Rinzel’s stick-handling abilities, speed, and size indicate that he could become a strong force on the blue line if he’s able to keep up the pace.
Sam Rinzel, selected 25th by @NHLBlackhawks, is an extremely toolsy right-shot defender. While his offensive habits are immature, and he is a bit passive while defending the transition, the upside of the 6-foot-3 defender is palpable.
Film Room:https://t.co/lFkSDjZ4pU pic.twitter.com/JPDbXFCaha
— Daniel Gee (@DanielGScouting) July 8, 2022
Nils Juntorp, Dubuque Fighting Saints
Stats: 14 points (9 G, 5 A), 45 SOG in 22 games
It’s been a quieter stretch for Juntorp of late, with no points in five of his last seven games. He did have a pair of goals against Cedar Rapids on Dec. 9, though:
Two-goal night for #Blackhawks prospect Nils Juntorp!🚨🚨pic.twitter.com/AtQyQMAF4l
— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) December 10, 2022
Despite those scoring slumps, though, Juntorp still appears to be featuring on Dubuque’s top line:
😁😁😁 <— Our faces when we saw @jjeannette17 is back in the lineup tonight! #HailToTheHalo pic.twitter.com/Rx8uUsajit
— Dubuque Fighting Saints (@fightingsaints) December 17, 2022
WHL
Kevin Korchinski, Seattle Thunderbirds
Stats: 28 points (3 G, 25 A), 51 SOG in 21 games
Korchinski only played three games in Seattle since the last update before joining Team Canada for the World Juniors, which officially kick off after Christmas.
Based on the lineup below for a pre-tournament game, the LD position will be one for Blackhawks fans to watch intently throughout the tournament:
Line ‘em up. 🇨🇦 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/CK1UrzOgZG
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 19, 2022
Nolan Allan, Seattle Thunderbirds
Stats: 14 points (5 G, 9 A), 45 SOG in 23 games
It’s a similar story with Allan as it for Korchinski, who did not have a point in the last three games he played for the Thunderbirds ahead of the World Juniors.
Here’s Allan throwing the body in a pre-tournament game against Switzerland on Monday night:
Nolan Allen (#Blackhawks) obliterates some poor Swiss player along the wall. pic.twitter.com/7ddmeLOy0F
— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) December 19, 2022
Colton Dach, Kelowna Rockets
Stats: 17 points (9 G, 8 A), 58 SOG in 14 games played
Dach picked up two goals in his final game with Kelowna before heading to the World Juniors.
Here’s a goal Dach scored in a pre-tournament game against Slovakia on Wednesday night:
Colton Dach gets the scoring started for Canada! 🇨🇦 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/E7MWSOLWvP
— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) December 22, 2022
Canada’s World Juniors team is loaded at forward, so it’ll be interesting to see where Dach fits into that lineup.
OHL
Ethan del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads
Stats: 21 points (2 G, 19 A), 29 SOG in 22 games played
Yet another Blackhawks prospect who’s now playing for Canada in the World Juniors, del Mastro left Mississauga on a positive note with five goals in his last three games, including a trio of assists against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Dec. 7.
Here’s a del Mastro hit:
Ethan Del Mastro coming down the tracks 🚂#Blackhawks #WJC pic.twitter.com/p8qOFXTV46
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) December 20, 2022
Gavin Hayes, Flint Firebirds
Stats: 29 points (15 G, 14 A) 95 SOG in 30 games played
Hayes was on fire earlier this season, averaging 0.97 points per game, but the heat has tempered as of late. He had a hat trick on Dec. 1 against the Petes but has struggled to make as big of a show since.
Call it a Hayes Trick 🎩🎩🎩@NHLBlackhawks prospect Gavin Hayes potted his first career #OHL hat trick for the victorious @FlintFirebirds on Thursday in Peterborough 🎥 pic.twitter.com/x9mQ8VjwN8
— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) December 2, 2022
Paul Ludwinski, Kingston Frontenacs
Stats: 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists) 43 SOG in 26 games played
Recently, credit goes to Ludwinski for his consistency: the center has gotten at least one point in almost every game this month. For a center, he’s a selfless player, and has some beautiful assists to his name, such as this one— named the No. 1 assist from the first half of the OHL season.
#Blackhawks 2022 2nd-round pick (No. 39 overall) Paul Ludwinski’s marvelous drop pass was named the No. 1 assist from the 1st half of the OHL season!
Ludwinski currently has 19 points (5G, 14A) in 26 games this season for the Kingston Frontenacs.
🎥: @OHLHockey pic.twitter.com/F9mjsmn6Ej
— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) December 21, 2022
QMJHL
Samuel Savoie, Gatineau Olympiques
Stats: 31 points (14 G, 17 A) in 29 games played
Savoie has been one of the Blackhawks’ top-scoring prospects all year, but he’s been a bit MIA in December, leaving midway through Gatineau’s last game on Dec. 16 and not returning. He had a four-point game (1 G, 3 A) on Dec. 11 but had just one assist in the other five games before his injury. Nevertheless, his physicality and fore-checking ability make him an asset to the Olympiques.
Savoie dans son bureau!
Savoie in his office!#goOLgo♠️ pic.twitter.com/AYC24SdM3X
— Olympiques de Gatineau (@OlympiquesGAT) December 11, 2022
Gatineau’s next game is Dec. 28 and we’ll see if Savoie is back in the lineup for that game.