Will Blackhawks Use Korchinski As Trade Chip This Offseason?

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

When Kyle Davidson took over as general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, the first player he drafted to kickstart the rebuild was defenseman Kevin Korchinski at seventh overall in 2022. Korchinski’s crisp playmaking skills and high-end skating ability fit the mold of defenders who excel in the modern-day NHL, but he’s done anything but so far and is now four years removed from being a top-10 selection.

Since turning pro in the summer of 2023, Korchinski’s development path has been rocky to say the least, and some of it isn’t his fault. As the youngest defenseman in the NHL during the 2023-24 campaign, Korchinski unsurprisingly struggled while averaging nearly 20 minutes per game for a bottom-three team. Shocking, right? Given he was still 19 years old at the time, Korchinski wasn’t eligible to play in the American Hockey League that season. That meant it was either back to junior with the Seattle Thunderbirds or transitioning to the big leagues. The Blackhawks chose the latter, and that’s a decision they likely regret in hindsight.

As an offensive-minded defenseman with a slimmer frame, Korchinski wasn’t exactly put in a position to succeed while playing for a dreadful squad that spent most of its games defending heavily. Davidson seemed to recognize the mistake of rushing Korchinski along to the NHL, and he tried to rectify it by giving him proper development time with the Rockford IceHogs for most of the 2024-25 season. After suiting up in 76 of 82 games the year before, Korchinski made just 16 NHL appearances as a sophomore.

His first minor-league stint was rather successful, earning a trip to the AHL All-Star Game and taking home the MVP Trophy in the process. In 56 games with the IceHogs, Korchinski tallied 27 points (3G, 24A) and was starting to find his footing as a professional. He also had an impactful run during the Calder Cup Playoffs, recording four points (2G, 2A) in seven matches.

Going into the 2025-26 season, Korchinski entered training camp seemingly on the bubble for an NHL roster spot. However, following an underwhelming preseason, plus fellow left-hander Matt Grzelcyk earning an NHL contract off a PTO, he wound up getting cut from the opening-night roster and spent most of the year with Rockford again.

Korchinski played well for the IceHogs for a second straight season, as he led all defensemen on the team in points and made it back to the AHL All-Star Game. But without any open spots on the left side of the Blackhawks’ blue line, NHL opportunities remained hard to come by. He appeared in just 13 games, and nearly all of them were a result of Grzelcyk getting injured in early March.

Korchinski suited up in each of Chicago’s final nine games after Grzelcyk went down, and he showed notable signs of growth both offensively and defensively. In fact, it was plausibly the best he’s ever looked at the NHL level. He seemed far more poised under pressure in the defensive zone, while trusting his instincts to make a more consistent impact in offensive situations, too. All around, Korchinski finally started to look like a capable NHLer.

But when projecting the Blackhawks defensive unit for the 2026-27 season, there’s still no guaranteed spot available for Korchinski, especially with the team wanting to be more competitive moving forward. With Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser secure on the left-hand side, and Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Louis Crevier expected to be the righties on the opening-night roster once again, the Hawks might not be able to afford another young and unproven commodity like Korchinski on the blue line. It would be difficult to trust that group enough together, with the goal of becoming postseason contenders in mind.

Given the circumstances, one has to wonder if Davidson is considering a change-of-scenery deal involving Korchinski this summer, even though that would likely mean selling low on a former No. 7 overall pick. Set to turn just 22 in June, Korchinski still has runway in front of him. However, with the Blackhawks’ current position, it could benefit the team to trade him for a more stable, experienced defenseman to serve as a depth piece.

Interestingly, there have reportedly been “off the record” discussions by the Blackhawks about using Korchinski as a trade chip this summer, according to CHGO Blackhawks. Set to become an unrestricted free agent come Jul. 1, Korchinski won’t garner much on his next contract with a small NHL sample size under his belt. That could be intriguing for a cap-strapped team interested in taking a cheap flier.

Would it be both frustrating and painful to see the Blackhawks move on from Korchinski, Davidson’s first-ever draft pick, at only 21 years old? Absolutely. Especially without him receiving much of a legitimate chance over the last two years, and also knowing he’s getting sold off for pennies on the dollar. Although, it’s admittedly time for Davidson to start weighing what’s best for the team. Unfortunately, trading away Korchinski could help improve another area of need.

It’s also worth mentioning that while the Blackhawks could re-sign Korchinski to a one-year contract and keep him in the minors for a third year in a row, it feels like he’s past that stage at this point. He’s worthy of an NHL opportunity; it’s just hard-pressed to see that coming in Chicago. Hence, a potential change-of-scenery deal this offseason.

For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.

Follow us on X:

@chihockeynow, @JackBushman2

The post Will Blackhawks Use Korchinski As Trade Chip This Offseason? appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now.

Continue reading...