LD Kevin Korchinski - Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL (2022, 7th, CHI)

[Mrb1p]

Still my pick for the “WTF they picked who that high?!?!” choice. There is going to be a team (maybe several) who are going to have him very, very high in their boards because they think they can coach the deficiencies out of his game and really weaponize him at the pro level. Other teams will have him much, much lower - perhaps a full round or more disparity in his draft area depending on the scouting staff. But it only takes one team to have him high for him to become quite possibly a top 10 pick. I think this is very possible. I’m not saying I’d want my team to pick him that high - but I can definitely see it happening.

I think most of us visualize a monumental gulf right now between Nemec/Jiricek and all the other defenders but I think in particular, Korchinski and Mintyukov may end up much closer to the former two than people are expecting - based on raw, moldable tools.

I have Minty ranked 3 spots behind Jiricek and 7 of Nemec, hes anazing imo

 

[bsu]

Kid is popping up on a lot of top 10 mocks recently.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Korchinski has sky-high potential. Adam Fox can be a nightmare in his own end. Same with Hughes and Makar, and Heiskanen was turnover happy this season, especially against Calgary. You take those warts if the playmaking, stickhandling, skating, and IQ is already at an elite level.

Fox isn't even a good skater, and even with his defensive shortcomings, he still won a Norris and leads defensemen in playoff scoring.

Korchinski deserves to be top-5 and should put up major points no matter which team drafts him. Nemec, Jiricek, Mintyukov, and Korchinski are in the elite tier IMO and my next group of Odelius, Chesley, Mateychuk, Grudinin, Koromyslov, Bischel, Havelid, Duda isn't too far off (with Lindgren, Luneau, Salomonsson, Casey not too far back of them). Then you have the high risk/high reward types like Hutson, Pickering, Lamoureaux, George, Nelson etc.

This draft is loaded with playmakers from the back end -- that's one of many reasons why you can't call it weak or average. If your team ignores defense this draft, regardless of what the pool looks like, the scouting director should get his head checked.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Just scored a beauty after weaving and weaving in a 4-on-4. Bullet wrister from the high slot on the move. Makar-esque.

 

[Jabba11]

This is getting more and more like the 2008 draft where all these defenseman are all-stars to superstars level.

Drew Dougthy
Zach Bogosian
Alex Pietrangelo
Luke Schenn
Tyler Myers
Erik Karlsson
Colton Teubert
MDZ
John Carlson

Nemec
Jiricek
Mintyukov
Mateychuk
Korchinski
Bischel
Pickering
Luneau
Salomonsson

 

[Wintersun]

This is getting more and more like the 2008 draft where all these defenseman are all-stars to superstars level.

Drew Dougthy
Zach Bogosian
Alex Pietrangelo
Luke Schenn
Tyler Myers
Erik Karlsson
Colton Teubert
MDZ
John Carlson

Nemec
Jiricek
Mintyukov
Mateychuk
Korchinski
Bischel
Pickering
Luneau
Salomonsson

I don't know if there's a Doughty, Pietrangelo, Karlsson or Carlson in that bunch. Maybe 1.

 

[Gstank]

This is getting more and more like the 2008 draft where all these defenseman are all-stars to superstars level.

Drew Dougthy
Zach Bogosian
Alex Pietrangelo
Luke Schenn
Tyler Myers
Erik Karlsson
Colton Teubert
MDZ
John Carlson

Nemec
Jiricek
Mintyukov
Mateychuk
Korchinski
Bischel
Pickering
Luneau
Salomonsson

Its sad that the one name on that list that was a bust is from my Hometown

 

[Jabba11]

Its sad that the one name on that list that was a bust is from my Hometown

Colton Teubert? hahaha

To keep it in topic, I think Korchinski can be a EK65 type of player and actually become the best or one of the best Dmen of his draft class.

 

[Wintersun]

Colton Teubert? hahaha

To keep it in topic, I think Korchinski can be a EK65 type of player and actually become the best or one of the best Dmen of his draft class.

I see him more as a Jake Sanderson with less defensive ability.

Elite skater, have my doubts about his hockey sense and decision making especially in defensive zone and neutral zone. He was a turnover machine in my viewings.

 

[bsu]

This is getting more and more like the 2008 draft where all these defenseman are all-stars to superstars level.

Drew Dougthy
Zach Bogosian
Alex Pietrangelo
Luke Schenn
Tyler Myers
Erik Karlsson
Colton Teubert
MDZ
John Carlson

Nemec
Jiricek
Mintyukov
Mateychuk
Korchinski
Bischel
Pickering
Luneau
Salomonsson

How do you not have Chelsey on that list.... He's literally the best defensive defensemen in the draft... He's also a fitness freak and could possibly play next season.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

How do you not have Chelsey on that list.... He's literally the best defensive defensemen in the draft... He's also a fitness freak and could possibly play next season.

His offense would also get a lot more credit if he got regular PP minutes.

 

[jfhabs]

I think he will be top 20 easily.
If you look at defenseman drafter in the 10s out of the WHL, he's a very comparable prospect even tho his style and attributes aren't the same : Thompson, Smith, Guhle, Schneider, Foote, Valimaki, etc.

It's possible he goes after that, but that would just be indicative of a deep draft. A bit like 2017, people were saying it was a bad year because of the lack of super elite talent at the top, but it ended up being a solid draft with a lot of depth and some hidden gem.

 

[Peasy]

Kid is popping up on a lot of top 10 mocks recently.

Corey pronman said that some NHL scouts expect him/have him in the top 10 (this was a few weeks ago too) . I think he probably goes top 10 tbh. I expect teams to grab these d men early instead of the meh forwards. Higher upside and greater potential impact.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Corey pronman said that some NHL scouts expect him/have him in the top 10 (this was a few weeks ago too) . I think he probably goes top 10 tbh. I expect teams to grab these d men early instead of the meh forwards. Higher upside and greater potential impact.

I can see that. The kid's had a really impressive season.

Who in the top 10 makes the jump for Korchinski though?

My thoughts:
MTL will take Wright, that's almost a given.
NJD are (according to Friedman) exploring trading the 2nd overall but could use a game changing winger like Slafkovsky for Hughes. Plus they have Luke Hughes in waiting.
ARZ probably take Cooley. I think there's an outside chance they go Nemec/Jiricek though
SEA probably go defense. Nemec/Jiricek or maybe they've got enough of an inside scoop on Korchinski since he plays nearby?
PHI I think go with Geekie or Kemell. Maybe Gauthier.
CBJ probably take Geekie, Savoie or Jiricek. Maybe Kemell.
OTT take Gauthier, Geekie or Kemell.
DET either take Savoie, Kasper or go for a real reach on Ostlund (not what I want).
BUF with 3 first round picks might gamble on Korchinski, but they have Power and Dahlin on LD already. I think they go Mintyukov. If one of Nemec or Jiricek fall this far then maybe them?
ANA probably go D after losing Lindholm. I could see them drafting any of Nemec, Jiricek, Korchinski, Mintyukov. Also I'm left wondering if Ryan Rezmierski left Detroit and went to Anaheim with Verbeek since he's no longer listed on the Wings team site. He was responsible for scouting defensemen in Nashville and helped Detroit re-stock their D pool.

So...I'm thinking maybe 2 teams could go after Korchinski in the top 10. Maybe 3 if PHI reaches, which wouldn't surprise me.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Shea Theodore

 

[Stewie Griffin]

He's starting to become who I want SJ to take at 11. We desperately need high-potential defenseman in our system.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Thomas Chabot.

 

[57special]

Korchinski has sky-high potential. Adam Fox can be a nightmare in his own end. Same with Hughes and Makar, and Heiskanen was turnover happy this season, especially against Calgary. You take those warts if the playmaking, stickhandling, skating, and IQ is already at an elite level.

Fox isn't even a good skater, and even with his defensive shortcomings, he still won a Norris and leads defensemen in playoff scoring.

Korchinski deserves to be top-5 and should put up major points no matter which team drafts him. Nemec, Jiricek, Mintyukov, and Korchinski are in the elite tier IMO and my next group of Odelius, Chesley, Mateychuk, Grudinin, Koromyslov, Bischel, Havelid, Duda isn't too far off (with Lindgren, Luneau, Salomonsson, Casey not too far back of them). Then you have the high risk/high reward types like Hutson, Pickering, Lamoureaux, George, Nelson etc.

This draft is loaded with playmakers from the back end -- that's one of many reasons why you can't call it weak or average. If your team ignores defense this draft, regardless of what the pool looks like, the scouting director should get his head checked.

That's my feeling. VG year to have late 1st and 2nd round picks, if not 3rd rounders. Loads of reasonably solid Dmen with size. I am not even paying attention to the smaller, offensive D, but there are some of those, too.
I wonder if there will be a run on Dmen in the late teens?

OTOH, not the greatest year for sure thing, high end offensive forwards. I am sure that there will be some really good forwards coming out of this draft, but sorting out who will be one, and who will be a tweener, doesn't seem all that clear to me in many cases.

 

[Gstank]

I think he is going to be the 3rd Dman off the board and he will be picked before Mintyukov. His play in the WHL playoffs combined with his strong season makes him more appealing then Mintyukov IMO.

 

[Kcoyote3]

Anaheim takes him at 10 I bet

 

[bsu]

He's like a wild horse, if he tame him he's going to be an unreal player. He's rising fast for a reason, he is so raw IMO and has so much potential. He literally could be the next Erik Karlsson, Chabot. He just as easily could never learn how to play defense and bust. He's been very impressive this playoffs and seems to get better every single game literally (which is why I think why he's rising on every list by the week)

He's almost the safer defensemen version of Brad Lambert in this draft. If they both make their top potential they could both be the best players in this draft IMO. I think Korchinski is a little safer than Lambert at this point (rise in production vs decrease in production) but Lambert is playing in a much better league with a much shitter team. I have them ranked in similar spots with similar risk vs huge reward players. Korchinski has raised his stock and passed Lambert for me, but I wouldn't mind the Ducks taking either we need to go for huge potential players IMO especially since we have so many picks and probably going to get more.

 

[Peasy]

The way he plays kind of reminds me of Gardiner. The really smooth skating, free spirit roamer type. That being said his upside is definitely better than what Gardiner became.

 

[tomd]

He's like a wild horse, if he tame him he's going to be an unreal player. He's rising fast for a reason, he is so raw IMO and has so much potential. He literally could be the next Erik Karlsson, Chabot. He just as easily could never learn how to play defense and bust. He's been very impressive this playoffs and seems to get better every single game literally (which is why I think why he's rising on every list by the week)

He's almost the safer defensemen version of Brad Lambert in this draft. If they both make their top potential they could both be the best players in this draft IMO. I think Korchinski is a little safer than Lambert at this point (rise in production vs decrease in production) but Lambert is playing in a much better league with a much shitter team. I have them ranked in similar spots with similar risk vs huge reward players. Korchinski has raised his stock and passed Lambert for me, but I wouldn't mind the Ducks taking either we need to go for huge potential players IMO especially since we have so many picks and probably going to get more.

I'm getting comfortable with Korchinski at 10 because that means Anaheim's scouts think he'll (a) fill out his frame and (b) be able to learn how to play D in the NHL.

 

[bsu]

Having Drysdale, Zellweger and Korchinski on the ice at all times would be fun. We'd have to find big physical defensemen I'd like Noah Warren, Ryan Chesley, Bischel with one of our next 3 picks... Get a high top end forward next draft. Ducks have a lot of picks in the first 2 rounds and may get more for Gibson.