What Is the Blackhawks’ Plan for Kevin Korchinski?

Kevin Korchinski was the seventh-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. When he was drafted, he was looked at as the next future number-one defender and had a high ceiling in general. 

Unfortunately, the past four years have changed that. So, that begs the question, once again: what in the wide world is the plan with him? 

Korchinski’s Career So Far

Korchinski was rushed into the NHL due to the old Canadian Hockey League-American Hockey League agreement. He was a teenager and was too young to play in the  AHL, and he was too good to play in the Western Hockey League. In hindsight, having him play another season with the Seattle Thunderbirds would have been the best decision. 

At 18 years old, in his rookie 2022-23 season, Korchinski played top-pairing minutes. Everything came at him way too fast, and it snowballed. In 76 games, Korchinski had 16 points and had a minus-39 rating. It didn’t help that it was the same season the Blackhawks tanked for Connor Bedard. There wasn’t a lot of talent surrounding him to help him work through his woes, and it was also Luke Richardson’s first season as a head coach. All of the scenarios were working against him. 

The season after, Korchinski spent some time in Rockford, and he’s still thriving with the IceHogs. Korchinski’s been in the AHL All-Star Game two years in a row now (2025 and 2026) and even won the MVP of the All-Star Game in 2025. He slowly gained his confidence back before finishing last season with the Blackhawks, looking confident and recording two points in the 13 games. 

What Is Korchinski’s Future?

The problem for Korchinski is that he currently remains unsigned. Korchinski not having a new contract could be leaving the door open for a possible trade before September, preferably for a forward. 

Another issue is there’s already a shortage of roster spots and Ethan Del Mastro has also yet to be signed. It will be interesting to see what general manager Kyle Davidson does with the two young defensemen who, to this point, still have something to prove. After the signing of veteran defenseman Ian Cole, Korchinski finds himself on the outside looking in for a roster spot.

For the Blackhawks’ organization, Korchinski not being, to this point, a consistent NHLer really threw a wrench into the rebuild. It forced their hand to select Artyom Levshunov over Ivan Demidov, who’d be a massive help for Bedard. On top of that, the trade for Bowen Byram may not have been necessary, and that fourth-overall pick could’ve been used for a forward. While Levshunov and Byram have great opportunities to prove themselves in their respective scenarios, the expectation was that Korchinski would be a first-pair defender by now considering his draft status.

For Korchinski, time is running out. He’s a top-10 pick and has yet to show a bang for the Blackhawks’ buck since 2022. This next contract is going to be, and needs to be, his “prove it” one- or two-year deal where he needs to show what he can be. It may not be all that beneficial for Korchinski to spend more time in the AHL, as there isn’t much else he can really do there. Korchinski has shown flashes of his talent before, and now he needs to show the front office. 

In all, this has been a rollercoaster that hasn’t been fun to ride. At this point, it may be better for both sides if Korchinski is traded and this all comes to an end.