The Blackhawks are nine games into the season with a record of 3-6-0 and are yet to see a fully healthy lineup take the ice. With injuries, scratches, and a lot of struggles on the back end, 22 year old Kevin Korchinski still finds himself on the outside looking in.
However, there is a potential path emerging for Korchinski.
The 2022 seventh overall pick has had a very difficult development path so far. You probably already know the story so I’ll keep it brief. What hurt Korchinski the most was having to play a full season in the NHL at 19 years old on a very bad Blackhawks team. He played most of his minutes with Jaycob Megna who barely passed as an NHL defenseman.
In hindsight, the Blackhawks should have let Korchinski play in either the WHL or college. Korchinski then spent the next two seasons playing development catchup in the AHL where he was named an All-Star two times.
Korchinski finally showed promise when he played 13 games with the Blackhawk at the end of the 2025-2026 season. He then followed that up with a great 2026 training camp and preseason. He played the most well-rounded hockey we had seen him play at the NHL level. So why is he the eighth defenseman on this Blackhawks team? Well, there are a few reasons.
What does Korchinski bring that the Hawks don’t have?
The biggest reason Korchinski isn’t playing isn’t even his fault, the Blackhawks already have guys who can do what he does. Korchinski is a left-handed offensive defenseman on the team with five lefties and an abundance of offensively-minded blueliners.
If Korchinski was right-handed, he would absolutely be in this lineup. Sam Rinzel plays a very similar game to Korchinski, but since he is a righty, he gets to stay in the lineup despite having plenty of bad nights early on.
Head coach Jeff Blashill opened the season with Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro as the extra defenseman, leaving them to fight for any opportunities that present themselves such as injuries or healthy scratches.
Bowen Byram is the Blackhawks’ no. 1 defenseman, but he is out with an upper-body injury. This sounds like a opening best fit for Korchinski, but Del Mastro gets the call.
What is Korchinski’s fault, however, is his inability to play Jeff Blashill’s defensive zone system. Korchinski lacks the strength required to effectively clear the front of the net and win board battles below the goal line. He did put on weight this summer, and has certainly improved in those areas. However, it doesn’t seem to be enough, but how can we know if he never plays?
Ethan Del Mastro on the other hand can do those things. Those are actually the things he is best at. Using his strength and size to push people around and lay the body when given the chance. The lack of physicality has arguably been the biggest critique of the Blackhawks’ blueline.
At 22 years old, Korchinski is running out of time to prove he can be an everyday NHL player. However, there is still a path for Korchinski to earn his spot.
Upcoming opening on the left side?
Korchinski is on year one of a two year deal, and with the Blackhawks treating him like a lost cause so far this season, people are wondering why they agreed on two years instead of one.
If you recall back in September of 2025, Wyatt kaiser signed his two-year extension. The negotiation went on all summer and ended only hours before training camp opened. Kaiser valued himself higher than the Blackhawks did. Could it happen again?
Kaiser is on the last year of his contract this season and has been underwhelming to say the least. There is still uncertainty around who is going to be here long-term and who is not, and Kaiser hasn’t solidified his spot by any means.
Can Korchinski leap Kaiser in the depth chart? Well, he first needs to earn the opportunity to play.
Don’t forget, Ian Cole becomes a UFA after this season, opening up another spot on the left side.
There is a reason Korchinski was signed to a two year deal and not one. Just because now isn’t his time, it doesn’t mean it won’t ever be.
Korchinski is still very much in consideration for a permanent spot on the blueline. If the Blackhawks and Kaiser fail to come to an agreement on his next contract, and Cole doesn’t resign (which he likely won’t) then Korchinski has a way in.