Can Kevin Korchinski put himself back in play?

Kevin Korchinski is a player that has been written off by many already in the Chicago Blackhawks fandom. Even after extending with the club for two more years this summer, the prevailing assumption has been that he is a guy who is still on the outside looking in when it comes to the future of the Blackhawks blueline.

Perhaps, this is a conclusion that has been reached too soon. Korchinski has come into training camp looking like a different player thus far. He is playing with confidence and leaning into his strengths, which is something he has struggled with to this point of his professional career.

The highlight was his performance in Chicago's preseason opener against the Minnesota Wild, where he was the best Blackhawks player on the ice by a mile. He created the first unofficial goal of the Blackhawks season with a beautiful shot that was deflected in by Dominic Toninato.

The question is: Can Korchinski ride this positive momentum moving forward? Can this be the season he finally earns himself a full-time job in the NHL? And what would that mean for his long-term outlook in the league?

2026-2027 is a "prove it" campaign for Korchinski

It is easy to forget that Korchinski was the top prospect in the Blackhawks organization at one point in the pre-Connor Bedard era. General manager Kyle Davidson paid a heavy price to acquire the seventh overall draft pick that became Korchinski. Alex DeBrincat was dealt to the Ottawa Senators, known for being one of Patrick Kane's premier running mate's. Korchinski then became the first draft pick of Davidson's tenure.

The promise has always been there with Korchinski; the talent is clear. He has just not been able to consistently put it all together at the NHL level. This has resulted in him bouncing back and forth between Rockford and Chicago in recent seasons.

Four years from his draft year, he leaves his entry-level contract days behind him. With a new short-term bridge deal in hand, now is the time for Korchinski to deliver. He has had plenty of runway to marinate in the AHL. This 2026-2027 campaign has to be a "prove it" year for Korchinski.

Korchinski will be expected to feature in the NHL this season as he aims to leave his Rockford IceHogs days behind him. The problem he faces is establishing a permanent spot in the rotation on the backend.

The current running order looks like Vlasic-Byram, Kaiser-Levshunov, and Cole-Rinzel. Korchinski looks like the odd man out as the seventh defenseman on the depth chart. And that doesn't even include Ethan Del Mastro, who could also factor into this equation.

Perhaps no player on this Blackhawks roster has had more impetus than Korchinski to perform in training camp. And so far, he has done just that. Korchinksi has at least put himself in the conversation for playing time.

However, it is one thing to play well in a preseason game against minor league players and another to do it in a proper regular-season game against the NHL's best.

The other issue Korchinski faces is the ball is not entirely in his court here. His placement in this team's plans will not entirely fall down to him. It will also come down to the performance of the seven other NHL caliber d-men on this roster. How coach Jeff Blashill decides to utilize this bunch will dictate Korchinski's fate.

Bottom line, there will only be so many opportunities for Korchinski to impress. Unless there are injuries, he will likely be spending a lot of time on the sidelines this season. He will need to take advantage of every chance he gets.

The reason being is that he simply has catching up to do compared to the rest of this d-core. Byram, Cole, Kaiser, and Vlasic are all established everyday defenders. The way in for Korchinski could be how he stacks up compared to the lesser experienced blueliners, such as Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel.

Once again, there is a roadblock here too. Levshunov and Rinzel are the only natural right-shot defenders on a team loaded with left-shot defensemen, with Korchinski being one of them.

As such, they have more clear roles on this team.

Where Korchinski could potentially stand out is going all in on his top attributes. A big reason why Korchinski was drafted by the Blackhawks is because of his offensive ability from the point. It is obvious that Byram is going to be the quarterback of the first power-play unit. Who mans the second unit is not as evident.

Could this be where Korchinski comes into play? With his shot, skating ability, and creativity, he appears to have the tools necessary to contribute on the power play.

All of this is a moot point if Korchinski does not round out the rest of the game. To be fair, he has come into camp with increased muscle and strength. He now has a frame that is more conducive to the NHL environment. We will see if that translates in games; he needs to show serious strides in his own end. If he can add a physical element to his repertoire, that would be huge for him.

Overall, it will be interesting to see what Korchinski can do this season in what potentially projects to be a make-or-break year for him.

Only time will tell if he can make that breakout that this team has been waiting for.

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