NEWSLETTER
Luke Richardson had some nice things to say about Kevin Korchinski last night. He was asked about Korchinski scoring the game-winning goal, and complimented him for taking the shot rather than deferring in that moment. The coaches have loved his offensive instincts since the start of the season, but the uphill climb with a 19-year-old defenseman is marrying the defensive awareness and responsibility with the ability to grab the puck and go and flip the ice.
Richardson was asked if there was a skater during his career that Korchinski reminded him of, and Richardson went big. He said Scott Niedermayer was a guy who was an effortless skater who Richardson described as “sneaky and elusive” — acknowledging that Niedermayer was an all-time great but seeing some areas that compare when looking at the physical tools Korchinski already possesses.
“He had some good gaps where he came from the inside out sometimes he gets himself on the outside working in, and that’s not a good look for a defenseman. It’s easy for guys to slip off or you give up the blue lines and you get penalties that way anytime you reach your stick lateral nowadays, as a defenseman on the outside. So his positioning has been really good, with the addition of his great skating ability, it’s really helping him play defense better and getting pucks and moving it up to the forwards and then jump by his guy that’s checking him because he’s really quick to get away. …
“We’ve seen definitely some growth and signs there. so he’s just got to continue to keep doing that and looking like that. then he’s going to be leading the charge on the offense, but he’s always a guy you count on defensively.”
