Latest news with #KevinKorchinski
Boston Globe
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
The Bruins have the No. 7 pick in the NHL Draft, and over the last 10 years there have been hits and misses in that spot
A look at the last 10 players drafted with the No. 7 overall pick: 2024: Carter Yakemchuk, Ottawa. The big defenseman (6 feet 3 inches, 195 pounds) joined the Senators during their first-round playoff series but didn't get into any games. Yakemchuk, 19, is poised to make a big impact in 2025-26 after a 245-game career in the Western Hockey League with the Calgary Hitmen, for whom he collected 70 goals, 180 points, and 247 penalty minutes. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 2023: Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia. Advertisement The right winger was a surprise snub in the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) race after leading all freshmen with 26 goals and 46 even-strength points. The 20-year-old Russian will be a favorite of fickle Flyers fans for the next decade. 2022: Kevin Korchinski, Chicago. Following a 76-game rookie season in 2023-24, Korchinski, 20, spent most of this past season in the AHL. The defenseman is aggressive by nature and that led to too many turnovers at the varsity level. Still projects to be a top-four guy for the rebuilding Blackhawks. Advertisement Blackhawks prospect Kevin Korchinski spent most of this past season in the AHL but still projects as a top-four defenseman. Michael Reaves/Getty 2021: William Eklund, San Jose. One of the Sharks' plethora of young guns, the left winger, who is just 22, has played 174 games with 35 goals and 110 points. His most impressive stat? He was minus-7 in 2024-25 after minus-44 the previous season. 2020: Alexander Holtz, New Jersey. After three seasons with the Devils (162 games, 23 goals, 46 points), the right winger was traded to Las Vegas. Holtz played 53 games for the Golden Knights but hasn't cracked Bruce Cassidy's playoff rotation. Related : 2019: Dylan Cozens, Buffalo. After four-plus seasons with the Sabres, the center was traded to the Senators at the deadline. He was a regular for Ottawa down the stretch and scored a shorthanded goal in the playoff series loss to the Maple Leafs. 2018: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver. The slick, puck-moving defenseman is the most accomplished player on this list. A Norris Trophy (top defenseman) finalist, Quinn has 59 goals and 350 assists in 433 games. He's on the books for two more seasons with a salary-cap hit of $7.85 million. Can they afford to keep their captain beyond that? 2017: Lias Andersson, NY Rangers. The Swedish center never found consistent footing in the NHL (seven goals in 110 career games), last suiting up for the Kings in 2022-23. He's now playing in the Swiss National League. 2016: Clayton Keller, Arizona. The Boston University product has been a consistent force for the Coyotes/Mammoth, with 196 goals and 508 points in 601 games. The center was named the first captain for the fledgling Utah franchise and is currently captaining Team USA at the World Championship. Utah captain Clayton Keller is also captaining Team USA at the World Championship. Steph Chambers/Getty 2015: Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia. After a seven-year run with the Flyers, the big defenseman has spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jackets. A steady and responsible performer, he has 77 goals and 282 points in 696 games. He has just 247 PIMs, impressive for a physical defender. Advertisement Jim McBride can be reached at
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What we learned about Blackhawks prospects during the Rockford IceHogs' playoffs
The Chicago Blackhawks' organizational season is officially over. The Blackhawks' season ended with the NHL's regular season. The Indy Fuel, their ECHL affiliate, were swept in the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs. On Sunday, the Rockford IceHogs were eliminated from the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs by losing Game 5 of a best-of-five division semifinals series against the Milwaukee Admirals. Advertisement Here are 10 takeaways from the IceHogs' playoff run: 1. The postseason wasn't so memorable for Artyom Levshunov. As good as Levshunov was with the Blackhawks after being called up, he struggled a bunch with the IceHogs in the playoffs. Whether it was the adrenaline and season catching up with him — he played 77 games between Rockford and Chicago after playing in 38 for Michigan State last season — or something else, his game dropped off. He made mistakes with the puck and was out of position defensively, and he was often lucky it didn't bite the IceHogs more than it did. The lows were much more visible than the highs in the playoffs, and that was often the opposite during the regular season. There isn't any sense that the Blackhawks have a larger concern about Levshunov's play. The organization is probably happy for him to start his offseason, get some rest and then prepare to play potentially a full NHL season next year. Building more strength and endurance will be important for Levshunov, like a lot of the players, this offseason. 2. Kevin Korchinski assumed more of the role of No. 1 defenseman in the playoffs. Levshunov's minutes were cut a bit, and Korchinski got more ice time. He played well over 20 minutes most of the playoffs and even hit 26:19 in Game 4 against the Admirals. For the most part, Korchinski held his own. He had a costly turnover in Game 5 against the Admirals, where he didn't move the puck quickly enough as the forecheckers arrived, but there weren't many errors like that. He was on the ice for more goals for than against. He had two goals in the first round against the Chicago Wolves and two assists in the last series. He was noticeably flying around the ice at times using his skating. When he found that speed within the offensive zone, he created for himself and others. That's what the Blackhawks need him to do consistently. Defensively, he's so much better than he was a year ago. He showed a tougher side in the playoffs and even played the unlikely role of villain in Game 3 against the Admirals with a cross-check to an opponent's back and then tossing the player's glove across the ice. Advertisement This will be an important summer if he's going to break camp with the Blackhawks next season. The more weight and muscle he can add, the better chance he probably has. The Blackhawks are still high on Korchinski's potential and he turns 21 next month. He might just need a little longer than other prospects. 3. Drew Commesso may have to still be patient for his NHL opportunity in net next season, considering who is ahead of him, but he at least has the Blackhawks' attention again. From early March to the end of the season, he was often the reason why the IceHogs won games. In his final 15 regular-season starts, he had a .932 save percentage. In seven playoff games, he had a .926 save percentage. 4. If I were betting on one current Rockford forward prospect to become a permanent fixture with the Blackhawks, it'd probably be left winger Samuel Savoie. His speed and effort seem to affect the game consistently more than anyone else. He can change a game when he's on and has more offense than given credit for, but he can still play an impactful role when he's not producing. He gets on pucks quickly and either wins them or forces opponents into bad decisions. It'd be surprising if he didn't get his first NHL look next season. 5. Colton Dach answered one major question about his future this season. It was clear in March that he could be a consistent NHL player. He found his groove with the Blackhawks late in the season. The problem is he still failed to answer the other big question: Can the Blackhawks count on him to be healthy? This was the third consecutive season he missed significant time. He'll get another chance next season to answer that. Dach had his moments when he returned from injury and played in the IceHogs' last five games. He scored the overtime goal in Game 1. He was physical and embraced the role of protector against the Admirals, who didn't mind throwing their bodies around. He didn't find the level he was playing at earlier, but it was good for him to get back playing. COLTON DACH 12 SECONDS INTO OVERTIME 🚨Rockford wins Game 1!@goicehogs | @NHLBlackhawks#AHL #CalderCup #GoHogs #Blackhawks — FloHockey (@FloHockey) May 2, 2025 6. The Blackhawks prospect I was probably most wrong about this season was defenseman Ethan Del Mastro. To be fair, there was some concern within the Blackhawks about how he started his season in Rockford. After taking a positive step last season, he appeared as if he took a step back with the IceHogs early in the year. Advertisement But as the year progressed, so did Del Mastro. He got better at moving pucks quickly. His gaps were better. His all-around play in the defensive zone improved. The one thing I noticed throughout the IceHogs' playoff run was how much Del Mastro understands how to use his body to shield defenders, retrieve pucks effectively and create some space for himself. He makes intelligent reads, too. With Rockford, he often did it while playing his off side, too. Del Mastro probably doesn't have as high a ceiling as a number of the Blackhawks' defenseman prospects, but his consistency is at a level most of those other defensemen don't have yet. It'll be interesting to see where Del Mastro falls in the depth chart. He's probably going to be fighting for a third-pairing role — that's just the reality of the Blackhawks' defense — but as of now, Del Mastro is probably ahead of the other candidates. He was more noticeable than Nolan Allan during Rockford's playoff games. In the IceHogs' final game of the season, it was Del Mastro who played a team-high 23:52. 7. Aidan Thompson didn't look out of place after making the jump from college to the IceHogs in April. As he adjusted to the offensive side of the game, he was noticeable on the forecheck and gave opponents trouble with his speed. He seemed to figure out more of the offensive part as his Rockford stay went longer. He scored twice against the Admirals. He also won 54 percent of his faceoffs in the final series. What Thompson has going against him is his age. He turned 23 in April and is on the older side for a player just entering pro hockey. It was beneficial for him to end the season on a professional tryout agreement and see where the AHL game is at. He'll officially begin his entry contract next season and will already have some pro experience under his belt. The Blackhawks were hoping to do the same with Dominic James, but James was interested in burning his first contract year this season. AIDAN THOMPSON HAS HIS 1ST PRO GOAL 📢 — Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) May 4, 2025 8. Of the Blackhawks' three drafts under Kyle Davidson, forward Paul Ludwinski has to be the most disappointing prospect so far. He was selected at No. 39 in the 2022 draft. The Blackhawks aren't writing him off by any means after one pro season, but he has a ways to go if he's going to become an NHL player. Ludwinski's speed is what the Blackhawks drafted him for, and you could see it at times this season: in Game 4 against the Admirals, he forced a turnover off the forecheck that led to the IceHogs' first goal. He just struggles to sustain that speed. Strength and endurance have to be focus points for him this offseason. His ice time was a reflection of how much he was trusted in the most important games. In the Milwaukee series, his game totals were 8:42, 11:30, 10:03, 7:55 and 8:11. 9. Gavin Hayes, a 2022 third-round draft pick, also had his share of ups and downs in his first pro season. After producing 41 and 37 goals in his last two OHL seasons, the left winger was probably hoping for more production this season. He scored five goals in 50 games for the IceHogs. Advertisement While Hayes' offense wasn't anywhere close to his World Juniors production, there were some encouraging signs this season, especially in the playoffs. He was finding more room to shoot during the postseason and made a few noticeable quick plays that created chances for teammates. He was also aggressive on the forecheck on the third line. His ice time was closer to 14 minutes a game. Neither Ludwinski nor Hayes may become NHL players, but the Blackhawks probably aren't counting on them. That's why the Blackhawks drafted so many early-round picks over the last three years. They just need enough to hit. But having said that, there's always the chance that Ludwinski and Hayes come around. They're both on three-year entry-level contracts. They're both young. Hayes is still 20 and Ludwinski recently turned 21. Time is still on their side, and the Blackhawks are going to be patient with them. A year from now, their stories might be different. 10. The Blackhawks did a nice job of adding the right type of veterans to support their prospects in Rockford this season. The IceHogs roster probably had a few too many veterans near the end, but that had more to do with players like Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert graduating to the NHL during the season. The Blackhawks will probably look to return a few of those veterans next season. Joey Anderson is under contract for another year, but Brett Seney, Zach Sanford and Cole Guttman are on expiring deals. They also had contributing players like Gerry Mayhew and Cavan Fitzgerald on AHL deals. It was interesting that Andreas Athanasiou was a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs. (Photo of Samuel Savoie: Jimmy Doles / Rockford IceHogs)
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks May Want To Avoid Trading Kevin Korchinski This Summer
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of great young defensemen in the organization. Some of them have higher ceilings than others, but the depth is there at the position. Lots of draft capital has been used on the blue line in recent years. One player that has a lot of mixed reviews is Kevin Korchinski. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft with the profile of being an offensive defenseman. Advertisement Since turning pro, he has shown flashes of brilliance in the offensive zone, although his defending needs work. It usually does with young defensemen, but his offense hasn't outweighed his deficiencies yet. Korchinski spent his first full pro season (2023-24) in the NHL but has spent much of 2024-25 in the AHL outside of a handful of games. When he's down with the Rockford IceHogs, you can see the tools that made him a top-ten draft pick. On Wednesday, Korchinski played a big role in the team taking a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Wolves in their first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. In addition to being a part of a handful of offensive chances, he scored the goal that tied the game up for Rockford. Eventually, they won in overtime. Korchinski's goal was a bit of a lucky bounce as he threw one off the backboard, and it went in off of Wolves goaltender Spencer Martin. Sometimes, gifted players make their own luck by playing the right way. Advertisement "A goal is a goal, right?" IceHogs interim head coach Mark Eaton said after the game. "Get pucks to the net at playoff time, it's never a bad recipe. And then his overall game was fantastic, skated well, blocked a big shot in the third, used his skating well, transitioned pucks, everything that makes him a special player." Korchinski needs to be free while playing his game. He can change the outcome using his skills, but the right pieces need to be around him. With some of the players coming up in the organization at the same time as him, Chicago may be a good place for his future. The Blackhawks may want to be careful when it comes to trading a player like this. With the surplus of skilled defensemen that they have, it's easy to bring his name up in trade talks as the organization tries to get better in other areas. There is something to be said about a guy who loves playing in the organization, gets along with everyone, and is supremely talented. Advertisement "Me and [Del Mastro], [Allan], all the guys, we go back," Korchinski said after the win over the Wolves when asked about playing with other good young defensemen in the organization. "World Juniors, Thunderbirds, just being able to play with them again, it's really cool. We know each other's games, compliment them, and we all want to keep playing with each other. It helps in the playoffs when you've got guys who want to stick around and keep playing with each other". Korchinski isn't alone in this journey through pro hockey as a young guy. He named guys like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan as he played with them before turning pro, but there are more there. For one, you have Artyom Levshunov, who scored the overtime winner to defeat the Wolves that night. You've also got guys like Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Louis Crevier, amongst others, ready to make a long-term impact. Again, they won't all be able to be full-time contributors, but Korchinski has what he needs to be an impact player. With the right amount of development before too much is put on his shoulders, he could be better than great. Advertisement Both he and the organization need to remember that he's just 20 years old. It is way too early to tell if he's one of the guys worth letting go of. His attitude and skills should be very attractive to the executives in charge. Korchinski and the IceHogs will play game two against the Wolves on Friday night in Rockford. If they win, they advance to the next round to face the Milwaukee Admirals. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
IceHogs' Kevin Korchinski to join Cole Guttman for AHL's All-Star Classic
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — There will be two IceHogs' participating in the AHL's All-Star Classic this coming Sunday and Monday in California. Defenseman Kevin Korchinski has been selected as a replacement has two goals and 15 assists for the IceHogs this season. He's the leading scorer among the team's defensemen. He has also played in nine games for the Blackhawks this spent most of last season. The 20-year-old will be making his first AHL All-Star Classic trip. The other IceHog who will participate in the event is forward Cole Guttman. He was selected a couple weeks ago to replace the IceHogs' original pick for the All-Star Classic Frank Nazar. Nazar is up with the Blackhawks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
