Entering August, several roster questions surround the Chicago Blackhawks. Based on roster projections, some of the significant questions surround the defense primarily because it is a toss-up as to who will make the opening night roster.
When examining the defense, one of the more peculiar situations involves Kevin Korchinski. The former top 10 pick will enter next year as the “underdog” and is one to watch.
Is Korchinski Getting Overlooked?
To recap, Korchinski was drafted seventh overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, and his traits are favorable for a defenseman: over six feet tall, a fluid skater, and top-notch offensive instincts.
However, as is widely known, the 20-year-old’s development was different because of his age. Due to the CHL and NHL agreement, Korchinski could not start with the Rockford IceHogs because he was 19 during the 2022-23 season, and needed to be 20 to go to the AHL.
Therefore, Korchinski was forced to either start with the Chicago Blackhawks or get sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL (Western Hockey League). Neither the WHL nor NHL option was “perfect,” but they chose to keep him in Chicago. However, hindsight is 20/20. He struggled in the NHL, and when it came to last season, he spent most of it in Rockford. As former head coach Luke Richardson said about him starting in Rockford, “We don’t want him to struggle here as a young defenseman. We want him to go and flourish down there just like what the organization saw when they drafted him.”
He did flourish with the IceHogs. He had 27 points in 56 games, was the team leader in points from defensemen, was named to the AHL All-Star Game, and even won MVP at the All-Star Challenge. It’s exactly what the Blackhawks hoped to see.
During his two NHL call-ups throughout the season, he experienced peaks and valleys, but seeing his success in Rockford generated more optimism about what he could bring to the Blackhawks’ blue line in the future.
But with other defensemen emerging, is he being overlooked?
Where Does Korchinski Fit?
When Korchinski was drafted, there were discussions about him potentially being a top defenseman. Now, the conversation is surrounding where he now fits on the defense.
The fact that Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Ethan Del Mastro, and Wyatt Kaiser made an impression on the organization suggests that Korchinski is becoming an underdog in the pipeline. He is still considered a top prospect, but there is something that stood out to me. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic conducted a re-draft of the 2022 draft class, and he had Korchinski going 20th to the Washington Capitals, which is a significant difference from the seventh overall pick.
Wheeler said, “He’s still going to be an offensively inclined five-on-five contributor and power-play option, but I wonder if he’ll have to be moved to realize his full potential now that Rinzel and Levshunov appear in line to run the Blackhawks’ power plays.” (from ‘Re-drafting the 2022 NHL Draft: Logan Cooley, Lane Hutson lead Scott Wheeler’s do-over- The Athletic – 07/23/2025).
Conversations went from considering him as a potential top defenseman for the Blackhawks to wondering if he could be a future trade candidate. Who would have thought that would be a thing?
The questions surrounding him are fair. It’s the NHL. If you are even one millisecond behind, there’s always another player waiting to take someone’s place, especially since there are only six starting spots on defense, and Chicago has a lot of prospects.
But Korchinski is also a reminder that development amongst defensemen, especially, is unique, and the Hawks are happy to ride the wave. Especially because they’ve had recent success with defense development.
As general manager Kyle Davidson said in his exit interview in April about player timelines, “It’s always different. So I think with Kevin, or any other defenseman, we’re going to continue to work with them. We believe in Kevin a ton. He’s got a ton of raw talent. He’s made some really nice steps in Rockford this year and grown parts of his game that he struggled with last year. And so, you know, he’s on an upward trajectory.”
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Davidson also shouted out Kaiser’s development as a good example for Korchinski, “We’ve seen players go up, down, come back. And then you see a guy like Wyatt Kaiser, right? A little bit of the up and down, and finish out the season really strong. And, you know, Wyatt’s older than Kevin, and so it just takes time. Reps, games, experience.”
Training camp will be huge for Korchinski, and he acknowledged to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he has to work on getting stronger this summer. We’ll see how he arrives in September and if he will force his way onto the Blackhawks roster.
After all, no hockey player is more dangerous than one who has something to prove, and there is excitement in that. As Davidson mentioned, “With Kevin’s raw talent, and the steps that we’ve seen from him, we’re very excited about where he is going.”
