The Chicago Blackhawks gave up quite a bit this offseason to draft Kevin Korchinski, selecting the young defenseman with the seventh-overall pick. That pick was part of the return from the Ottawa Senators for Alex DeBrincat, meaning there is a lot riding on Korchinski’s development.
Today, the team has decided that development will continue at the junior hockey level. After an impressive debut training camp, Korchinski has been returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. The team has also sent Arvid Soderblom to the AHL and Samuel Savoie to the Gatineau Olympiques, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.
Korchinski, 18, is not eligible to pay in the AHL this season or next, though it would be an unlikely destination for him anyway right now. After being the tenth overall pick in the 2019 WHL draft, it actually took him a little while to really make an impact, thanks to COVID delays and cancelations.
It was 2021-22 when he really burst onto the scene, scoring 65 points in 67 regular season games and then another 19 in 25 playoff matches. With a relentless offensive mindset, Korchinski is always trying to create something with the puck on his stick, and often leads the rush with his excellent skating ability.
For now, that offensive mind will be headed back to junior, where he should dominate once again. He’ll also be a candidate for the Canadian World Junior squad in December.
Next year will be a telling one for the Blackhawks, as Korchinski will not be eligible for the AHL. It will be either NHL or CHL for him at that point, meaning his designation should give some insight into whether or not the Blackhawks are ready to start turning the corner on their rebuild.
At the moment, playing their top prospects in the NHL seems like a waste, as the team isn’t expected to be very competitive. At some point though, there will need to be a shift from junior and minor league development to getting them reps at the highest level. The seventh-overall pick will be a strong indicator of when that shift occurs.