Defenseman Kevin Korchinski signs 2-year, $2.65M deal, keeping him with Blackhawks through 2027-28

The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman Kevin Korchinski to a two-year, $2.65 million contract, the team announced Saturday.

The signing, which comes with a $1.325 million salary-cap hit, leaves defenseman Ethan Del Mastro as the team’s last restricted free agent.

Korchinski, 22, was the first draft pick of Kyle Davidson’s tenure at No. 7 in 2022, kicking off the general manager’s full rebuild of the Hawks. Korchinski played 76 games as a rookie in 2023-24 but struggled, with no help from a lackluster team around him. He averaged 19 minutes, 37 seconds of ice time, finishing with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) with a minus-39 rating.

He spent a good chunk of the last two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs to develop defensively. In 109 career AHL games, he has 53 points (five goals, 48 assists) with a minus-38 rating.

A defenseman’s development can be sporadic, with Davidson stating how he doesn’t see Rockford time as a demotion. Still, Korchinski’s extended time with the IceHogs raised some questions about his future with the team.

The concern was heightened when Ethan Del Mastro was recalled March 3, while Korchinski didn’t see NHL time again until March 29 in the wake of injuries to Artyom Levshunov and Matthew Grzelcyk.

Korchinski responded with two of his best games with the Hawks, in Seattle and San Jose, Calif., but finished the closing four-game homestand on a sour note, raising questions again. He averaged 13:38 of ice time with two assists, including the primary on Sacha Boivert’s first NHL goal, in his 13 games on the main roster this season.

The two quality games came at the right time with his entry-level contract expiring, though there were no signs of the Hawks wanting to move on from the defenseman. With the new contract comes heightened expectations.