Blackhawks 2026-27 projected defensive pairings

The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of new faces for this upcoming 2026-27 campaign. With these new additions, and the incremental development of some of their younger players, the organization is hoping to ice a better team than last season. We’ve already looked at projections for the forward group, so today let’s dive into the defensive pairings.

To review, the Blackhawks lost defenseman Connor Murphy at the trade deadline, and they chose to part ways with journeyman Matt Grzelcyk. They lost Louis Crevier via trade, but that was also part of the deal that brought Bowen Byram into the fold. Byram was obviously a huge signing, as he’s expected to become the Blackhawk’s top defenseman of the future. Additionally, the organization added veteran blueliner Ian Cole in free agency.

Once it was all said and done, the Blackhawks currently possess seven left-handed defensemen and only two right-handed defensemen (Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel). This makes it very difficult to determine how the pairings will play out. Nevertheless, let’s attempt to make some defensive predictions for the start the 2026-27 campaign. I’ve included my projections below, along with some explanation for each pairing.

Bowen Byram – Artyom Levshunov

Alex Vlasic – Sam Rinzel

Wyatt Kaiser – Ian Cole

*Kevin Korchinski – *Ethan Del Mastro

*Note: The Blackhawks have tendered qualifying offers to both Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro, and are expected to sign them to extensions. 

1st Pairing Thoughts

Byram – Levshunov

I’m seeing lots of projections out there showing a Vlasic – Byram top pairing. After all, that’s basically the Blackhawks top defensive defenseman and top offensive defenseman. I’m just not buying it.

I believe a little more balance should be in order. Plus, why start the guy you want to lead the way and become your new top defensemen on his off side? Sure, it could be an option down the road to play Byram on the right, but the coaching staff will want to give him every chance to succeed right off the bat.

This is why I see Byram being paired with either Levshunov or Rinzel, one of the natural right-handed defensemen. Which one it ends up being is obviously a matter of who’s made the most progression, or how the chemistry works out. I went with Levshunov mostly because of his slightly higher pedigree.

Obviously Levshunov will have to show improvement from last season, where he was very inconsistent at times. But he could potentially keep it simple and begin the season just focusing on the defensive side of things, freeing up Byram to be more active offensively. Levshunov could then add more of his offensive game as he goes.

2nd Pairing Thoughts

Vlasic – Rinzel

Vlasic and Rinzel played together on the top pairing at the end of the 2024-25 season, as well as to start the 2025-26 campaign. From that, they’ve already built some good chemistry. Head coach Jeff Blashill revisited this pairing a handful of times at the end of last season as well.

Vlasic spoke about his and Rinzel's partnership in early April. “We both like to hang on to pucks and skate with it. So I think once we, the next handful of games here, get a little more comfortable with each other, hopefully we're contributing offensively in the O-zone. I felt like we were moving a little bit tonight when we did get the puck there. So yeah, he's easy to play with, and such a good skater and fluid. And hopefully we can just kind of keep this thing going.”

This duo could provide a solid combination of both offense and defense.

3rd Pairing Thoughts

Kaiser – Cole

A third pairing of Kaiser and Cole would definitely not be a weak link. Kaiser has established himself as a strong and reliable defensive defenseman, but he’s also not afraid to join offensively when he has the opportunity.

Cole is a 16-year veteran who knows what to do to get the job done. He can be the steady, calming presence for his partner, and for the entire defensive group. For these reasons, I believe Cole is the best candidate to play on his off side. He told me at his introductory press conference he’s actually played on his off side almost half his career, and that he’s very comfortable with it.  

One final thought on the second and third pairings. Depending on how Coach Blashill wants to attack things, I could also see Kaiser and Vlasic being swapped. Kaiser and Rinzel would be more of an offensively-minded duo, whereas Vlasic and Cole could be more of a shutdown pairing.

Extra Defensemen Thoughts

Korchinski – Del Mastro

This is where the conundrum comes in, because neither of these young players should be the extra defenseman. It does neither of them any good to not be playing. They both would also need to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL. So, what will be the fate of both Korchinski and Del Mastro?

First off, they need to be re-signed. While general manager Kyle Davidson has indicated he’s confident extensions will happen, one of these two could end up being the odd man out and traded.

Korchinski offers a similar offensive upside as Rinzel or Levshunov. However, he’s a left-handed defenseman. This will make it tough for him to crack a spot in this lineup. But he was drafted seventh overall in 2022; plus he’s only 22 years old. The Blackhawks would be hard-pressed to pull the plug on him so soon.

Del Mastro, on the other hand, is a strong and physical defensive defenseman. This could actually come in quite handy on a very offensively-minded D-corps. The 23-year-old also has a good amount of experience playing on the right side.

Final Thoughts on the Blackhawk’s Defensive Corps

I guess this plethora of defensemen is a good problem to have. Let’s remember, injuries are always a factor, giving the next man up an opportunity to step in. Coach Blashill also made it a practice at the beginning of last season to deploy an 11 forwards, seven defenseman lineup. This was a way to give more players an opportunity, along with balancing ice time and helping to shelter them. Could he go with the same concept again?

Additionally, Levshunov and Rinzel are still waivers exempt. It's not out of the question for them to be sent down to the Rockford IceHogs for more seasoning. Finally, once all the young defensemen find their stride, the veteran Cole could sit out as the seventh defenseman.

These are all plausible things to ponder when determining the defensive pairings for the Blackhawks. As noted, there aren’t a lot of clear-cut answers. This will definitely be a storyline to follow into training camp and beyond.

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