We’re now less than a month from the start of the NHL regular season, and excitement about the Blackhawks is already ramping up. The team spent a bunch of money this summer to turn its roster upside down. After being forced to put players into certain roles just to field a roster at times last season, Chicago now has the luxury of putting together a real, competitive lineup when they open the regular season at Utah. But how will the new-look Blackhawks fit together?
When we started at the top of the defensive depth chart yesterday, the first pairing was easy to put together. That duo is a no-brainer, and their best-case scenario is to simply continue what they’ve been doing. But on the second defensive pairing, things look a bit different. These two skaters couldn’t be more different, and that might just be the key to this pairing playing up to its best-case scenario.
When training camp opens a week from today, all eyes will be on Korchinski, a raw 20-year-old who was thrust into an NHL role last season despite probably needing time at the AHL level. Now that he already has 76 games with the big club under his belt, the question over the next month will be whether he should return to the NHL. Korchinski could certainly benefit from more time at a lower level to round out his game. But on the other hand, he’s already faced the best competition in the world and taking a step down could be useless. Additionally, I would much rather see Korchinski in Chicago than a placeholder like Isaak Phillips or Louis Crevier, especially if the Blackhawks take a step forward in the standings.
If Korchinski stays on the roster out of training camp, there isn’t a better partner for him than Alec Martinez, the newly signed 37-year-old veteran. With the steady defensive game of Martinez, Korchinski can focus more on his offensive skills, the aspect of his game he excels at most. The youngster is still raw defensively, so learning from a seasoned vet certainly wouldn’t hurt, either.
There isn’t a player on the roster more opposite from Korchinski than Martinez. The acquisition from the Golden Knights is entering his 16th season. His style of play is a stark contrast to that of Korchinski as well – the 20-year-old excels at moving the puck through traffic and has solid scoring abilities while also being able to set up his teammates at a pretty good clip. Martinez, on the other hand, isn’t likely to score too often this season, as he doesn’t shoot the puck as much anymore or make many flashy offensive plays. But Martinez brings to the table a truly elite, heady defensive game. With solid mobility on the ice, he’s one of the most solid defenders on the new-look roster.
While the Blackhawks will mostly be focused on how Martinez can help Korchinski on the defensive end, the former could also benefit from the presence of the latter. Korchinski’s offense is a hole in the game of Martinez, so the best-case scenario for the veteran is to let Korchinski primarily handle those duties. In the meantime, Martinez can make sure his defensive game is steady and make this second pairing a real shutdown unit. Getting more opportunities because of Korchinski’s playmaking ability could even net him a few goals.
