The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to take a step forward from previous seasons. To do this, sometimes it requires a step back.
That’s what the Hawks are going through after back-to-back six-goal drubbings by the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks. The Hawks want to return to their early-season surge, including Sam Rinzel.
The defenseman was sent down to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs on Monday after seeing his ice time gradually decrease. It’s a move that may have come as a shock, given his high preseason praise.
“This is a hard league if you start to struggle to gain traction,” Hawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “So go down (and) get your swagger with the puck back.”
He started the season on the top power-play unit, setting up shots for Connor Bedard and company. His positioning on defense was a highlight as well, as he consistently cracked 20 minutes of ice time.
As the season pushed on, the 21-year-old’s confidence waned. He became indecisive with the puck, leading to giveaways and missed opportunities.
He lost his place at the top of the first power-play unit and spent time as the seventh defenseman in the lineup. Rinzel’s ice time dwindled to as low as 9:30 in a Dec. 2 road game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Rinzel was a healthy scratch in the Hawks’ Nov. 15 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in an effort for the defenseman to bounce back as Artyom Levshunov did. This was not the case, as he averaged 14:36 of ice time with zero goals, five assists, a minus-2 rating, 16 penalty minutes and 15 giveaways through his last 11 games.
Patience ran thin within the coaching staff, leading to the Rockford assignment for Rinzel — and forward Landon Slaggert, who was averaging about 9 minutes of ice time in 10 games. Blashill doesn’t see it as a demotion, but rather a chance for Rinzel to find the player he knows he can be.
“Hopefully (he) gets time on the power play, more than he was getting here,” Blashill said. “And then continue to improve defensively.
“He’s not the strongest guy, so he’s got to learn how to defend smart with a stick and not get into physical confrontations where he’s hugging. I think (Rockford’s) a great opportunity for him.”
Rinzel’s assignment means the Hawks will play in the traditional 12-6 lineups rather than the 11-7 Blashill has run for the majority of the year. Blashill doesn’t think the lineup changes will negatively affect how the team responds after two blowout losses.
“Does that help some other guys get some more minutes? Does it help their own personal development? Maybe, we’ll see,” Blashill said. “We’re hoping that this is a win-win for everybody.”
Practice notes
Forward Dominic Toninato was recalled from Rockford on Monday and practiced with the team. The center has 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 24 games played this year for the IceHogs and made some noise for the Hawks in the preseason.
The 31-year-old will be a veteran addition to the locker room, which should benefit younger skaters like Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore, his former IceHogs teammate.
“(I’ll) try to be somebody they can lean on and they can learn from on and off the ice,” Toninato said. “(I) met a bunch of these guys during camp and started developing connections, so good to be back and see everybody.”
He hasn’t had time to discuss his role with the team, but he’s not expected to be in the lineup Wednesday for the Hawks’ home game against the New York Rangers. He could be a good addition to the bottom six later on, in hopes of adding some offensive prowess to the fourth line.
“I can’t say that he’ll start in the lineup (against the Rangers), we’ll play that out,” Blashill said of Toninato. “He can give us some of those fourth-line minutes as a center (and) it gives us some flexibility.”
Team captain Nick Foligno spent some pre-practice time by himself on the ice Tuesday as he recovers from a hand/wrist injury suffered on Nov. 15 against Toronto. Blashill says he’s “getting closer,” but there’s no timetable for his return.