The Blackhawks Have a Critical Decision To Make with their top prospect

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Joshua Deeds
October 14, 2023 (8:59)

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As a result of Connor Bedard's arrival, the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans have been completely blown away. Ultimately, Kevin Korchinski, a young defenseman with a lot of promise, gets lost in the shuffle.

While the 19-year-old defenseman has only skated in two NHL games this week, he does not appear to be out of place.

What should the Blackhawks do with him? Should he stay in the NHL or return to the WHL?

Obviously, Korchinski won't be a top-pairing defenseman right away, no one ever is. It might be best to keep the youngster in the league in order to develop him. The Blackhawks will burn a year of Korchinski's ELC if he skates more than 9 games this season. The team isn't permitted to send him to the AHL, so he'll return to the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he posted 73 points, 11 goals, and 62 assists in 63 games.

The fact that he didn't look out of place during opening night and hasn't had a bad night since he's been here suggests he's NHL-ready. According to Natural Stat Trick, Korchinski led the team in xGF with 1.42 in a 2 on 1 against the Boston Bruins, while registering 19:19 TOI against the Penguins.

There will be a rookie struggle, which is natural, but this is where the Blackhawks will develop. By allowing him to adjust to the NHL game and learn from his mistakes now, the team may be able to compete later on.

It might make sense to marinate Korchinski while the team isn't contending yet, since Korchinski could use this opportunity to make mistakes and become a winner down the road. Considering CHL and NHL rules, it might be best for him to stay up here and learn from Connor Murphy, a great leader.