Blackhawks Call Up Top Defensive Prospect, Signaling Big Move Is On The Way

Throughout his development thus far, the Blackhawks have admitted that Artyom Levshunov’s game will be full of ups and downs. He’s a really young defenseman who came into the NHL with more offensive talent than defensive, and everyone knew he would take time to develop.

Levshunov finds himself squarely in the middle of one of those “downs” now. With zero points in his last nine games, Thursday’s loss was his worst outing of the season, battling to a minus-five mark and being at fault for multiple Penguins goals. 

His recent performance makes the Blackhawks’ latest roster move all the more interesting. On Friday afternoon, Chicago recalled defenseman Sam Rinzel. We’ll see if he draws into the lineup when the Blackhawks host the Blue Jackets Friday night. 

That move could mean several different things, but it at least means something might be in the works. The simplest scenario would be that they’re just giving Levshunov a night off to reset, but that seems like a waste of a call-up. A corresponding move wasn’t announced, so Levshunov probably isn’t headed to Rockford.

The Blackhawks could also just be wanting to go back to the 11-7 lineup they’ve used much of this season, which would make sense assuming that captain Nick Foligno is out—he missed most of Thursday’s game and wouldn’t necessarily be expected to draw back into the lineup so soon. But with a long Olympic break on deck three games from now, Chicago could just as easily have used Sam Lafferty in Foligno’s place for the time being. Why call him up now with the break on deck, except to fill a hole?

With a league-wide trade freeze going into effect next Wednesday, the rumor mill is flying. On Thursday, I wrote that one name consistently popping up in that rumor mill that could be headed out of Chicago is defenseman Connor Murphy. It’s no secret that the 32-year-old won’t be in Chicago much longer, and the Blackhawks have almost certainly been shopping for playoff contenders in need of defensive help. With that move potentially on deck, it’s not out of the question that Rinzel is being called up to replace the veteran. 

Whether it’s signaling a trade is on the way, or just a roster shuffle, the recall of Rinzel means more movement is on deck in Chicago. Rinzel has been solid with the IceHogs, so he’s a welcome addition for a team that could use a little pick-me-up as they attempt to claw their way back into playoff contention.