Blackhawks Delay Two Top Prospects to Start Season

The Blackhawks have decided that Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar won’t be on the opening-night roster this season.

Both players, who were recent first-round picks, are headed to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs as announced by the team. Korchinski, 20, spent his entire first pro season with the NHL team but struggled with a -39 rating and only 15 points in 76 games. Despite his puck-moving skills, he often seemed out of place during preseason games, like when he had a -3 rating in a 7-2 loss against the Wild.

Nazar also finds himself starting in Rockford after being picked six spots after Korchinski in 2022. He recently signed an entry-level contract following an impressive sophomore year at Michigan, where he scored 41 points in as many games. However, his brief NHL stint ended with just one goal and a -4 rating over three matches.

Roster Changes: What’s Next?

Fans might feel these moves make sense for their growth. With both players set to debut for the IceHogs soon, they’ll have time to adjust to professional hockey before possibly returning to the NHL roster later on.

Meanwhile, Wyatt Kaiser’s uncertain status due to recent injuries has opened up opportunities for Nolan Allan and Isaak Phillips on defense. According to Pope’s insights from training camp observations, these two seem poised to fill those spots left vacant by Korchinski’s move down. Allan might even play his first NHL game against Utah on October 8th after showing promise last year with Rockford.

What do you think about these changes? Do you agree with sending them down?