During Tuesday’s morning skate, Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill was asked about upcoming roster decisions, specifically the competition between remaining defenseman such as Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski, among others. They’re tough decisions, but Blashill thinks highly of all his skaters.
“The good thing for us is whoever we end up sending down, whoever doesn’t start here, our guys are capable of being NHL defenseman,” Blashill said. “We’re going to be making hard decisions on which guys start up top (and) hopefully over the next few games some guys grab these roles and separate themselves.”
That was around 11:30 a.m. Fast-forward to about 2 p.m., when Korchinski was assigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. The decision happened faster than expected with three preseason games left. After a 3-1 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings later Tuesday, Blashill explained the thought process behind the move.
“We get to a point where we want to practice with one team,” he said. “It’s as much that as anything else to try to get to where you don’t have too many guys.
“Our plan would be for him to still play another exhibition game. … I said at the beginning of camp (that) we have more good players than spots, (so) it’ll be competitive and whoever ends up going down just has to go down and thrive.”
It could be helpful for Korchinski to get AHL reps after a lackluster training camp. But is it time to start worrying about the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft?
That draft was the first under Kyle Davidson. There was plenty of pressure on the new general manager to get the Hawks back into Stanley Cup contention. His first pick was the 6-foot-1, 185-pound defenseman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Davidson followed the Korchinski selection with two more first-round picks: forward Frank Nazar (No. 13) and Rinzel (No. 25). Both spent more time at their respective colleges (Michigan and Minnesota) before making their NHL debuts and are expected to start this season with the Hawks.
Nazar is $46 million richer and proving his worth early in the preseason, while Rinzel is all but certain to be in the Hawks’ top defensive pairing with Alex Vlasic.
Then there’s Korchinski, who spent a year in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds before his NHL debut. He impressed that season with 11 goals and 62 assists (73 points) in 54 games and added 13 points in the playoffs en route to a Memorial Cup final berth.
Korchinski earned a spot on the Hawks roster in 2023 training camp. The hope was NHL reps would elevate his game, but that didn’t materialize. He played 76 games for the Hawks as a rookie with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists), a minus-39 rating and an average ice time of 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
He spent his second pro season between Rockford and Chicago. There were signs of development with the IceHogs as Korchinski led all defenseman in assists (24) and points (27) in 2024-25. He had a couple of call-ups to the Hawks but put up just two points in 16 games (17:05 average ice time).
A dominant year in the AHL could help him master his craft and skating to match the speed of Blashill’s system. But by the time he does, will it be too late?
Rinzel will be on the roster, and Levshunov’s preseason showings have increased his odds of making the cut. Other draft picks such as Nazar, Oliver Moore and even Ryan Greene seem to be adjusting faster than Korchinski.
Korchinski is only 21, so it’s probably not a make-or-break season for him. The hourglass may speed up, though, as other young Hawks defensemen develop, so he doesn’t have the luxury of unlimited time.
Davidson has preached patience. Only time will tell if Korchinski can earn a permanent spot with the Hawks.