Where does Kevin Korchinski fit into the Blackhawks lineup?

Kevin Korchinski's path to the NHL has been difficult, to say the least. From jumping into the big leagues as an everyday player at 19 years old, to spending the next two seasons in the AHL, Korchinski may find himself on the outside looking in for the third straight season.

Coming off his entry-level contract, the restricted free agent remains unsigned as we get closer to training camp. However, general manager Kyle Davidson has stated there shouldn't be any issues getting the deal done.

The difference between this upcoming season and the previous three is that Korchinski is no longer going to be waiver-exempt, meaning he can't be sent back down to the AHL without going through waivers. This means if Korchinski doesn't impress this September, the options are limited.

As it stands right now, on paper Korchinski is probably the seventh defenseman behind Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Ian Cole. Although, the role isn't automatically his. 23-year-old Ethan Del Mastro is also fighting for a spot on the opening night roster.

Where does Korchinski fit?

Let's say Korchinski impresses at camp and makes the opening night lineup. The Blackhawks would then have to work with five left-handed defensemen. Where does he fit in, and who will he be paired with?

Lets assume the top pair is Vlasic with Byram playing on his weak side. That leaves the bottom four to Korchinski, Kaiser, and Cole (left handed), and Rinzel and Levshunov (right handed). You might be thinking, just play Korchinski on the left with one of Rinzel or Levshunov.

The issue is that all three of those defensemen are offense-first and aren't yet able to execute the defensive responsibilities required to be paired with another offense-first player. The pairing of Kaiser and Levshunov worked really well at times last season, so let's assume that is the second pair. Although if Levshunov struggles, that spot could easily be snagged by a guy like Rinzel.

That leaves the bottom three of: Korchinski, Cole, and Rinzel. To me, Cole is the key piece here. The stay-at-home defenseman has spent plenty of time playing both the left and right sides. Cole is a reliable veteran who has the potential to work well with both Rinzel and Korchinski.

If Korchinski is in the lineup, I think playing him on the left, with Cole on the right, puts him in the best scenario to succeed. Plus, some internal competition between Korchinski, Rinzel, and even Levshunov will help raise everyone's game.

It obviously isn't ideal for a young player to be sitting out as the seventh defenseman, but this gives guys like Korchinski, Rinzel, Del Mastro, and Levshunov a chance to step up and earn valuable minutes. Jeff Blashill is also no stranger to icing 11 forwards and seven defensemen; he did it a lot at the start of the season last year. So there is definitely a possibility we see it again, especially with Connor Bedard slated to miss the start of the season.

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