NEWSLETTER
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was asked before playing in Arizona if rookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski was likely to burn the first year of his entry-level deal and stay with the big club beyond his ninth game.
Why Keep Korchinski with the Blackhawks?
Because, frankly, he’s been the Blackhawks’ best offensive defenseman. At even strength, Korchinski has been on the ice for 105 unblocked shot attempts — 16 more than Seth Jones, who ranks second among defensemen on the team. And he’s the only defenseman on the roster who has a positive unblocked shot attempt differential.
Korchinski is skating on the Blackhawks’ top pair with Jones to start games and has shown growing maturity with the puck in almost every game. In fact, sometimes from shift to shift he shows improvement. With Alex Vlasic missing for at least Monday night while he’s in concussion protocol, the Blackhawks may ask Korchinski to skate more minutes. He’s already skated over 20 minutes in four of the Blackhawks’ first eight games.
Are there times he still makes a rookie mistake? Absolutely! But he’s learning the speed and physicality of the pro game right now and he’s comfortable. There’s nothing about a return to the WHL that’s going to help his development at this point.
NHL Rookie Ranks
Entering Monday night’s game, Korchinski ranks second among all rookie defensemen averaging 19:52 per game; only Minnesota’s Brock Faber averages more ice time (23:27).
Entering Monday night’s game, Korchinski’s 14 blocked shots are tied with Anaheim’s Pavel Mintyukov for second among rookie defensemen; Faber has 17.
Entering Monday night’s game, Korchinski’s three takeaways are third among rookie defensemen behind New Jersey’s Luke Hughes (five) and Anaheim’s Jackson LaCombe (four).
Entering Monday’s game, Korchinski has been on the ice at even strength for 141 Blackhawks’ shot attempts, which ranks second among rookie defensemen behind Faber (143).
Entering Monday’s game, Korchinski has been on the ice at even strength for 105 unblocked Blackhawks shot attempts. That number leads all NHL rookie defensemen.
