Kevin Korchinski has done enough in two games this season to merit a louder conversation around his place on the Blackhawks’ blue line.
The 2022 first-round pick has already shown flashes of why Chicago took him seventh overall. In Sunday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, he picked up an assist, finished plus-2 and logged around 12 minutes of ice time. The numbers around him were strong, too: with Korchinski on the ice, the Blackhawks held a 6-2 edge in scoring chances and a 10-3 advantage in shot attempts.
Even head coach Jeff Blashill pointed to plenty of positives after the game, saying Korchinski “did a lot of good things” and that he “I thought he played solid in that pair with [Sam Rinzel]. Both of them did a lot of good things.
It’s unfortunate that he had the tough change,” (from ‘Blackhawks’ frustrations mount as breakdown leads to third straight loss’, Chicago Sun Times, Oct. 25, 2026).
The tough line change late in the third period ended up being the detail that lingered most, since it helped set up the Panthers’ go-ahead goal with less than three minutes left. But that one sequence shouldn’t wipe out the rest of his performance.
Korchinski has had an uneven NHL introduction, which is hardly unusual for a young defenseman. He made his debut the same night as Connor Bedard, and last season came with the expected growing pains. Defensemen generally take longer to settle in than forwards, and Korchinski has still been working through that adjustment while showing in preseason that he was ready for more responsibility.
There’s been belief in his game from the start. Chicago drafted him seventh overall in 2022 because of his puck-moving ability and his skill with the puck on his stick. He also couldn’t go to the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford because of the AHL and Canadian Hockey League agreement that meant players under 20 couldn’t play in the AHL.
That made his path more direct, and more visible. He stepped into the NHL right away and did it alongside Bedard on Oct.
10, 2023. The two also shared a gold-medal run with Team Canada at the 2023 World Juniors, so Korchinski has already spent time on big stages at a young age.
He’s had to keep proving himself, and he’s said as much. On Aug. 29, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.65 million after a delay in re-signing during the offseason.
In exit interviews last season, he said, “Gonna be a big offseason. Got things (we’re going to) work on,” Korchinski said in exit interviews following last season.
“Just come to camp with swagger, trying to prove I belong, and just have a good summer, good camp, and get things rolling.”
After Bowen Byram remained out, Blashill turned to Ethan Del Mastro instead, which left Korchinski as a scratch before he got back into the lineup. Korchinski didn’t hide his mindset when he talked about earning a spot.
“Every day you have to earn it,” Korchinski said. “It starts with showing up the next day and proving myself again.
The past doesn’t matter. You want to be good in the present and help the team win.
You have to be good every day. It’s a hard league.
That’s the approach you want to have to be a difference-maker and have a long career.”
That’s the kind of message young players usually give. But in Korchinski’s case, the play is matching the words. He has looked like Chicago’s best defenseman in both games he’s played this season, and one awkward change late against Florida shouldn’t bury the rest of what he showed.
Chicago closes its homestand against the struggling Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 27.
In Other News...
Brady Tkachuks Ottawa Return Took An Awkward Turn Off The Ice
Brady Tkachuks first return to Canadian Tire Centre after his trade to the Florida Panthers ended up becoming more than just a hockey night. Ottawa Senators fans made their displeasure clear by tossing jerseys onto the ice, turning the former captains homecoming into one of those uncomfortable moments that can hang over a building long after the final horn.
Ian Mendes, the Senators vice president of communications, said the count reached 37 jerseys, and many of them were damaged in the process. Tkachuk had said he would donate every jersey thrown on the ice to the Boys and Girls Club in Ottawa, but the condition of a number of them means they will not all make it there. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Came Closer Than Fans Realized On Connor Hellebuyck
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said the Panthers were among several teams that engaged in trade discussions for Connor Hellebuyck, a reminder that Florida was not just monitoring the market from a distance. Buffalo, Utah and Carolina were also part of the mix, and Friedman described those conversations as legitimate even if the details varied from team to team. In a league where top-end goaltending almost never becomes available, being in the room at all says plenty about how aggressively clubs were exploring the possibility.
The talks apparently ran into different roadblocks depending on the team involved, from player-package disagreements to draft-pick swaps, timing issues and contractual complications. Friedman said he does not have the full picture on every negotiation, but the fact that Florida was part of that group adds another layer to the Panthers' recent roster maneuvering and just how close they may have come to a much bigger swing in net. [Read more 🡒]
Lakeland Faces A Friday Fight That Could Cost The Dreadnaughts Everything
Fridays game could hardly carry more weight for Lakeland, which is trying to hold its place in the projected Open Division postseason field as the rankings tighten around it. Several Florida powers are still jockeying for position based on the latest MaxPreps numbers, and the Dreadnaughts are in the thick of that scrum with a major matchup on deck, alongside other pivotal games such as Miami Central against Carol City and Carrollwood Day against Newman.
The stakes are not the same for everyone in the race, though, since some teams remain blocked by postseason bans no matter what happens on the field. For Lakeland, the margin is thin enough that every snap can matter, and the outcome of Fridays showdown could leave the Dreadnaughts looking secure or staring at a shifting playoff picture heading into the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]