Kevin Korchinski Inks Extension with Chicago Blackhawks

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Kevin Korchinski Inks Extension with Chicago Blackhawks

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | Last updated Aug 29, 2026 10:03 PM ET

As the summer winds down, most teams’ rosters have been set, except for a few players. For Chicago, Ethan Del Mastro and Kevin Korchinski both needed new extensions as August winds down. For the latter, he will find himself at home for the next two seasons.

Here’s The Deal:

After months of waiting, Kevin Korchinski has put pen to paper on a two-year extension with the Chicago Blackhawks with an AAV of 1.3 million dollars

What a rollercoaster of a rookie contract it was for Kevin Korchinski. After being drafted seventh overall in the 2022 NHL draft, Korchinski has been an interesting case study. Following an impressive DY+1 season in which he tallied 73 points with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Chicago had to make a tough choice. Without the present-day NCAA pipeline, there were only two options.

One was to keep him in Seattle, where he was clearly head and shoulders above the competition. The other? Throw him into the fire of the National Hockey League. Chicago decided to test Korchinski, and it can be argued that the choice backfired horribly. In. 2023-24, Kevin finished with 15 points, but the story of the season was his defense. The 19-year-old Korchinski looked out of place in the league. Often, “Korch” was caught out of position and looked physically immature.

Finding His Groove and the Future:

The next season, Korch went to the AHL with Rockford, where he found success. An All-Star MVP and two seasons averaging around 0.5 ppg showed that Korchinski still had the talent that was billed in his draft year. With his final stint this season, Kevin showed increased maturity, especially in the defensive zone. Albeit with limited playing time under coach Jeff Blashill.

The two-year deal will give both Chicago and Korchinski time to decide on his future with the organization with very low risk. And as waves of young talent are added to the roster, Korchinski will need to fight and compete on this deal to secure a long-term spot with the Blackhawks.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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