Prospect Info: Kevin Korchinski, 7th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft

[cassac]

I agree. What’s he going to learn beating up on kids younger than him?

I want him to get to 200 games as quickly as possible. Having a head coach that played 1400+ NHL games should be better than any JR coach.

I think there is a lot he still can learn in the WHL. He needs to get better defensively and work on his shot. Also, he seemed to tire out at the end of the season last year. Gaining strength and size will help with that and his over all game.

 

[bwanajamba]

I'm not saying he has nothing to learn in the WHL but I think a whole year there would be a waste. In my somewhat limited viewings his defensive struggles occur mostly when he doesn't have a size/speed advantage. The AHL would be perfect for him this year as there are plenty of guys who can push those challenges on him in a more sheltered environment than the NHL, but since that obviously isn't an option I think giving him a healthy dose of NHL action is going to allow him to work on his deficiencies more than going straight back to the W after 9 games. Unless he looks completely lost and morale becomes a concern, then the decision becomes pretty easy

 

[BobbyJet]

I'm not saying he has nothing to learn in the WHL but I think a whole year there would be a waste. In my somewhat limited viewings his defensive struggles occur mostly when he doesn't have a size/speed advantage. The AHL would be perfect for him this year as there are plenty of guys who can push those challenges on him in a more sheltered environment than the NHL, but since that obviously isn't an option I think giving him a healthy dose of NHL action is going to allow him to work on his deficiencies more than going straight back to the W after 9 games. Unless he looks completely lost and morale becomes a concern, then the decision becomes pretty easy

The decision must be what is best for the player. I'm sorry to burst folks' bubble but KK is not NHL ready and since the AHL is not an option he should get his 9 games and then return to Junior. I think the fact that he will begin the season in Chicago is great progress but I also think it will become obvious that he isn't ready. Why put the kid in over his head?

 

[piteus]

The decision must be what is best for the player. I'm sorry to burst folks' bubble but KK is not NHL ready and since the AHL is not an option he should get his 9 games and then return to Junior. I think the fact that he will begin the season in Chicago is great progress but I also think it will become obvious that he isn't ready. Why put the kid in over his head?

I suspect his first 9 NHL games will be a huge factor if he stays and plays with the Blackhawks for 39 games or goes back to the WHL. Either way, he'll be playing in the World Juniors in the middle of the season.

KK is not ready for the NHL. It's more a question of development. Is he not overwhelmed by the NHL game and strong enough mentally to develop in the NHL ... or does he need to go back to the WHL? I think the Hawks would like the former but it's really up to KK's performance.

 

[MTU34]

What’s with the 39 games talk? Is that the cutoff for a full year of service time (IE: starting the ufa clock)?

 

[Mrfenn92]

What’s with the 39 games talk? Is that the cutoff for a full year of service time (IE: starting the ufa clock)?

Ufa clock correct

 

[TLEH]

For me he isn’t ready.

 

[Hawkaholic]

He's not ready. But still looks like our 3rd best Dman behind Jones and Kaiser. Sad.

 

[Crow]

I don’t find it sad at all. Wasn’t expecting him to be NHL ready at this age

 

[piteus]

I think we all agree KK is not NHL ready. Unfortunately, the AHL is not an option. Hence, we need to ask ourselves what is the best way to develop KK?

As long as KK is not overwhelmed, I believe the Hawks would like him in Chicago for 39 NHL games as well as practicing / training under their new staff. Hopefully, he also has the mental fortitude to handle the adversity (that would be huge). If not, he's going back to Seattle after the 9 game audition. Finally, KK will be playing in the World Juniors in the middle of the season regardless. If KK sticks around Chicago, he'll get about 50 games this season at 19 years old. That's a good number of games for his development while not starting his UFA clock.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I don’t find it sad at all. Wasn’t expecting him to be NHL ready at this age

No, it's sad that a kid that isn't ready is our 3rd best Dman. As in our D men f'n suck.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

I don’t find it sad at all. Wasn’t expecting him to be NHL ready at this age

Think that the sad is a team indictment and not a KK issue.

 

[Crow]

I guess that might be a little more sad but in my mind this rebuild just started and D take a little longer to develop in most cases.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Not exactly sad when the goal is still to tank another year and not shoot the middle.

 

[hockeydoug]

He skates like an NHL player, he has to make decisions at NHL speed. He's probably not going to do that in Seattle.

Bedard will have slumps, Reichel will struggle for stretches, there will be a revolving door with other kids from Rockford etc. I don't think there's ever going to be less pressure on him to perform at the NHL level than a tank year. If he's going to be a top pair type, there's no substitute for NHL minutes and he needs thousands of them. If he's not a top pair type, none of this matters and KD needs more tank years to get one anyway.

 

[Sacha BOXviert]

He turned 19 in June. Relax

 

[TLEH]

I disagree that he has nothing to learn in WHL. You can still learn playing your 19-20 year old season in the WHL.

 

[Darkstar]

I don't think going back to the OHL has hurt Brandt Clarke's development. KK can refine his game in the Dub and get a lot of ice time to do it. There is no reason for a rebuilding team to rush prospects.

 

[featherhawk]

give him a taste of the NHL and then have him head back to Seattle to hone his game

 

[clydesdale line]

I don't think going back to the OHL has hurt Brandt Clarke's development. KK can refine his game in the Dub and get a lot of ice time to do it. There is no reason for a rebuilding team to rush prospects.

Clarke played 9 games up first though last season then got sent down. I've been saying it all offseason that the Hawks should follow what the Kings did with Clarke.

 

[ChiHawks10]

give him a taste of the NHL and then have him head back to Seattle to hone his game

Clarke played 9 games up first though last season then got sent down. I've been saying it all offseason that the Hawks should follow what the Kings did with Clarke.

With the way he's playing, there's no reason to send him back. He has been more than good enough to make this team.

 

[Paul Allen]

With the way he's playing, there's no reason to send him back. He has been more than good enough to make this team.

Definitely. If it gets to a point where he seems in over his head then I don’t doubt he gets sent back, but until then, let him learn.

 

[BobbyJet]

I disagree that he has nothing to learn in WHL. You can still learn playing your 19-20 year old season in the WHL.

I'd like to see a new rule where every team is allowed one exception to a player having to return to Junior. KK (like Nolan Allan last season) is too good for Junior yet you don't want him playing limited minutes and being over his head in the NHL. The AHL would be perfect for his development.

 

[Drumman44]

I'd like to see a new rule where every team is allowed one exception to a player having to return to Junior. KK (like Nolan Allan last season) is too good for Junior yet you don't want him playing limited minutes and being over his head in the NHL. The AHL would be perfect for his development.

The whole reason that rule exists is so the NHL doesn't harvest the CHL's talent and stick their players in the AHL. The CHL won't want to budge on that.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

The whole reason that rule exists is so the NHL doesn't harvest the CHL's talent and stick their players in the AHL. The CHL won't want to budge on that.

100% agree with this. The NHL is willing to live with the relatively limited number of cases where prospects are "stuck" in juniors because they don't want to have to fund the prospect system. It has nothing to do with what's the best for the development of those cases and everything to do with raw $'s.