Blackhawks Sign Kevin Korchinski To Two-Year Deal

To the surprise of many, Korchinski made the Blackhawks roster to start the 2023-24 campaign. In defense of Chicago, the Blackhawks had a very thin defensive group that season behind Seth Jones. Still, defensemen take longer to develop than forwards, and since Chicago wasn’t competing for anything that year, there was no need to rush Korchinski.

It wasn’t a shocker, then, that Korchinski’s rookie season was a disappointment. He finished the campaign with five goals and 15 points in 76 games, with a brutal -39 rating, despite beginning over 60% of his shifts in the offensive zone. It was clear that Korchinski was losing confidence in his play, but Chicago continued to put him in the top-four for much of the season.

Eventually, the Blackhawks determined that it would be better in the long run for Korchinski to take a step back. He spent much of the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, posting a much better three goals and 27 points in 56 games with a -17 rating. Still, he had a few opportunities with Chicago, registering one goal and two points in 16 NHL contests.

It was much of the same for Korchinski this past season. Unfortunately, at least on the stat sheet, he didn’t take a meaningful step forward. He finished the 2025-26 season with two goals and 26 points in 53 AHL games, and two assists in 13 NHL appearances.

Regardless of his stagnant development, the Blackhawks still have confidence that Korchinski will become a key piece of the blue line. Chicago has improved since they drafted Korchinski, but they have not fully climbed out of their years-long rebuild. At 22, the Blackhawks still have time to be patient with his development.