The Blackhawks have a big decision ahead of them with where Korchinski will play the majority of the 2024-25 season.

Kevin Korchinski is one of the Chicago Blackhawks' top young defensemen and a key piece of their future. That being said, he may have been rushed to the NHL last season. 

Because Korchinski was only 19, he had to make the jump to the NHL or spend another season with Seattle in the WHL where he probably wouldn't have progressed any further. Per an agreement with the CHL, players under age 20 who sign a pro contract must skate in the NHL or return to their junior teams. Sending them to a minor pro team isn't an option.

It may have been unfortunate that Korchinski wasn't able to spend some of last season playing with Rockford of the AHL where he could have benefited the most. Now would going to to Rockford in 2024-25 really be the right move for the smooth-skating D-man after he completed a full rookie season in the NHL?

Korchinski played on the second pairing last season for Chicago, but struggled at times. The talent-thin Blackhawks just didn't have any other options to relieve some pressure off of the 19-year-old. The team had a lot of young players who  were pressed into action. This led to general manager Kyle Davidson signing a wave of veteran free agents in July, including two left-shot defensemen in Alec Martinez and T.J. Brodie.

It initially looked like Korchinski would retain his spot on the second pairing this season beside a healthy Connor Murphy. Brodie and Martinez would form the third pairing. But if Korchinski is demoted to the AHL to start the season to get playing time and develop more, Brodie or Martinez would be in line to seize the role higher up in the lineup.

This would be interesting as Brodie was used to playing the right side in Toronto and Martinez' ice time hasn't been that of a true top-4 defenseman since 2020-21.

If Korchinski drops to the AHL, then who replaces him? The Blackhawks have no shortage of prospects potentially ready to do so with Nolan Allan, Ethan Del Mastro, Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier, Isaak Phillips, and Artyom Levshunov. All but Allan and Levshunov have already debuted in the NHL, and Allan could be ready for a taste with a strong training camp.

Two of the seven have to be chosen to round out the Blackhawks this season and it's going to be a dogfight in camp to determine that. While Korchinski and Levshunov are the most important to the future of Chicago, someone like Phillips or Crevier could be a placeholder this season to play limited minutes as the sixth defenseman. This would allow growth in the AHL for Korchinski that most players need.

Korchinski may have been rushed into the NHL in a role bigger than he could exactly handle and it didn't help that he lacked consistency beside him with Murphy getting injured. Korchinski should get more consistency to start the season if the Blackhawks pair those two or even Brodie with him on the third pairing.

The Rockford IceHogs are expected to be a top AHL team, so Korchinski would get a taste of winning again while facing lesser competition. But at the same time, he has faced the best in the world for a full season already and the Blackhawks are going to be deeper and better. 

He can have a more sheltered role in the NHL this time around or play big minutes in the AHL. That is a decision that will likely come down to the last cuts in training camp this season in Chicago.

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