With veteran TJ Brodie and Alec Martinez in the lineup, Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks will have to consider making the rookies work for a spot in the NHL.
One of those rookies could be Kevin Korchinski, who at 19 last season couldn't be sent down to the AHL, but could have been sent back to the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds.
In lieu of that knowledge, the Blackhawks decided to forego sending him to the juniors entirely and kept him in the NHL.
Of course, he wasn't perfect and had some shortcomings in his game in the NHL.
But that means, with the surplus of players acquired, Korchinski could find himself playing sometime in the AHL to hone the blunt points of his game.
He'll have to improve some of the shortcomings in his game that was exposed during his 76-game stint in the NHL.
While he could find himself in the AHL at the beginning of the season, he could find himself in the NHL later down the road once they feel he's developed himself into a defenseman the Blackhawks need.
He did find himself out of position in some instances and is a raw talent who could've been sheltered by someone like Alec Martinez, but instead, they want a well-rounded defenseman.
Someone like Alex Vlasic is a good example, of someone who benefitted from time in the AHL, and it might be Korchsinki's turn to get some seasoning in Rockford.
Source: CST
Blackhawks coaching Kevin Korchinski on positioning while determining where he'll start season
POLL | ||
20 SEPTEMBRE | 73 ANSWERS Announcement: Blackhawks will be moving forward in 2024-25 season without Kevin Korchinski Do you think Kevin Korchinski will benefit from a season in Rockford? | ||
Yes | 42 | 57.5 % |
No | 31 | 42.5 % |
List of polls |