Three standout Blackhawks prospects from the IceHogs playoff run

The NHL is getting closer to the offseason, and Chicago Blackhawks fans are looking ahead to the coming months with hope that the rebuild in Chicago can get closer to the end.

While most fans have turned their attention toward the NHL draft and free agency with speculation of what the Blackhawks will do, many of the prospects in the organization got their first taste of playoff hockey at the professional level while playing in the AHL playoffs for the Rockford IceHogs.

The IceHogs finished their playoff run with a second-round exit to the Milwaukee Admirals in game five of the best-of-five series. As one of the youngest teams in the entire AHL, the IceHogs going as far as they did is an impressive feat for a team so inexperienced, with many of their players being in their first professional season.

Many Blackhawks' prospects gained valuable experience in Rockford this season and their progress showed in the playoffs as the team saw young players elevate their game to a new level.

Blackhawks prospect Kevin Korchinski stepped up with the Rockford IceHogs.

The first Blackhawks' prospect who impressed throughout the IceHogs playoff run was Kevin Korchinski, the former seventh-overall pick spent the majority of the season in the AHL and stepped up in a big way during the playoffs.

Over the past few months, there has been discussions of whether Korchinski will be the player the Blackhawks hoped he'd be when they drafted him. After a couple of short stints in the NHL this season, it was clear that Korchinski needs to get stronger and play more aggressive on a consistent basis.

In these playoffs, Korchinski became the IceHogs top defenseman posting four points in seven games with a plus-5 rating while also logging over 20 minutes per night, showing a newfound aggressiveness and physicality. This is without a doubt a step in the right direction for the young defender as it shows a new side to his game that can be expanded upon with more development.