What Does The Future Hold for Blackhawks Defenseman Kevin Korchinski?
The Chicago Blackhawks began preseason play last night against their Central Division rivals, the Minnesota Wild. The team suffered a 3-2 loss to the Wild, in which the Blackhawks did their best to win by committee.
There were six Blackhawks players who scored a point against the Wild, plus veteran goaltender Calvin Pickard, who was in the crease last night.
One player who was in the mix was offensive defenseman Kevin Korchinski, selected 7th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was given a shot at the NHL early in his career, after the team brought him into the fold at age 19. Korchinski would play 76 games that season in the NHL, as the rules precluded him from being sent down to the AHL. That season he scored 15 points (five goals, ten assists) and was often outmatched by other players on the ice.
2024-25
He spent the majority of the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs to improve his skill set, playing 56 games and scoring 27 points ( three goals, 24 assists). He got a look in the NHL that season to see what progress had been made, but played only 16 games and scored two points (one goal, one assist).
Korchinski would earn a trip to the AHL All-Star Game, where he'd earn MVP, scoring 4 points (one goal, three assists) during All-Star weekend, and helping the Central Division win a title since 2017.
2025-26
During the 2025-26 season, Korchinsk spent the majority of the year again in the AHL, as the Blackhawks do not view him as an NHL-ready prospect despite promoting him so soon. He'd suit up for the IceHogs again for another year, scoring 24 points in 53 games and two points in 13 games in the NHL.
With training camps firing up and the Blackhawks bringing over more of their top prospects in the fold, what are the next steps with this former first-round pick of the Blackhawks? Korchinski is still viewed as a bubble prospect who hasn't had a chance in the NHL since the team signed veteran Ian Cole during the offseason and gave Wyatt Kaiser a full-time job on the team.
Is this the year the Blackhawks finally trade Korchinski?
He played 25:25 TOI on Saturday, with one assist, one hit, two takeaways, and 28 shifts, including time on the power play.
If general manager Kyle Davidson has some tricks up his sleeve to relieve the team of excess talent to flip for draft capital, now is the perfect time to showcase their former 7th OA pick.
Keep in mind, the Blackhawks did sign him to a two-year contract in August, which could see the team offering him another shot at making the team in the future.
If things do go south, and mobile defenseman Xavier Villenevue (34th overall in 2026) turns pro soon, could we see some movement?