Blackhawks’ GM Says A lot but Reveals Little in Latest Presser

Chicago Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson has a trait that many GMs lack: ease. He seems easy to talk to, and his press conferences have been relatively straightforward since he took over in 2022. His statements are concise enough that you can usually confidently say, “I know what his plan is for the team.” Most GMs speak in ways you would think were Morse code, and you feel like you must use every last brain cell to try and decipher what they mean.

Davidson’s press conference on Nov. 25 answered some burning and significant storylines surrounding the team from the past week, and understandably, some answers did leave more deciphering than usual. Here is the breakdown.

1. Korchinski Is Here to Stay With Blackhawks

Regarding 19-year-old rookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski, the storyline surrounding his season has been “Where is Korchinski going to play?” It dates back to the summer when people questioned whether he would start the season with the Blackhawks or if Chicago would send him back to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. But he started the season in Chicago and began his entry-level contract. The question was whether the Hawks would loan Korchinski to Team Canada for the 2024 World Juniors. Rules are that NHLers born in 2004 and 2005 are eligible, and the tournament starts on Dec. 6, so an answer was needed.

Davidson was asked about Korchinski’s status, “My inclination would be for him to stay here. I think out of respect, you just consider everything and want to make sure the player’s in the best position possible, and you want to consider that. But honestly, hasn’t really crossed my mind all that much.”

The World Juniors is an exciting scenario. Usually, general managers and coaches want their players to have the experience if they deem it best for them and their development. It means so much to these players to represent their countries, and Korchinski won a gold medal with Connor Bedard at the World Juniors last year.

A good example of Korchinski’s situation was Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes) last season, who started with Arizona and was loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors. General manager Bill Armstrong mentioned that since Arizona was not competing for the Stanley Cup, they wanted to see Guenther playing in high-stakes situations for him to gain knowledge and exposure, and from an organization standpoint, you can “Find out a lot about them and they really tend to grow from them [these tournaments].”

The Blackhawks are in a similar boat. They’re second-worst in the NHL and aren’t contending, so they could give Korchinski one last dance, but keeping him is not a bad option. The story would be different if he looked lost as an NHL defenseman. However, he is third-best on the team in ice team, averaging 19:32 minutes, playing primarily in a second-pairing role with Connor Murphy, and he is finding his game, including a game-winning overtime goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 24, and has six points in 18 games. Why not ride it out? There’s no better time than now for him to adapt to the NHL level while the Blackhawks are not expected to make a run. He would gain great experience at the World Juniors, but there is also no greater experience than the NHL.

This is a stark reminder that talking about hockey, stats, trades, etc, is fun, but the human element of respect and understanding should always remain at the forefront.

The Blackhawks have only gone through one month of the season, yet it feels like an entire season has passed. This won’t be the last time we hear from Davidson, but lingering questions will likely have answers by the next team he speaks.