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.
Related: Blackhawks’ Korchinski Is Already Team’s Best Offensive D-Man
Korchinski has always had a go-with-the-flow attitude with the Blackhawks; he was on board with whatever they thought was best for him regarding Seattle, and this World Juniors scenario is no different. Korchinski responded, “Whether I would stay here, go there, either way, I’m happy.” He wins either way. He’s happy. The Blackhawks are thrilled with him. Fans are excited. It’s a joyous occasion.
This was the most direct news of the press conference. Korchinski is here to stay. Now, here comes the perplexing parts.
2. To Tank or Not To Tank?
The Blackhawks announced on Nov. 23 that Taylor Hall will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Corey Perry will also be away from the team for the “foreseeable future.” Those are two significant losses for the lineup. Hall was acquired this summer to fill the top six and to help player development. He had 4 points in 10 games, so production was there. Perry is the fourth-best scorer on the Blackhawks with 9 points in 16 games. That’s hard to replace.
Davidson was asked if he could acquire players to add to the roster. He responded, “It’s not an easy thing to do, to add on the fly, especially this early in the season. There are probably other teams that would be far more aggressive than us in trying to add talent. It’s not something I’m looking at right now.”
I understand that the Blackhawks are in a weird situation where they aren’t competing, so they don’t want to go all out on the trade market for temporary help, but I don’t think the Blackhawks can keep going through the season without legit, top-six talent. Hall was brought in for that reason, someone to play with Bedard, and they should try to replenish as best they can. They called up Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, and whenever Andreas Athanasiou returns from injured reserve, they will help, but they need more. The Blackhawks’ primary source of offense is the first line of Connor Bedard, Philipp Kurashev, and Lukas Reichel (and Nick Foligno).
Adding proven talent can help scoring depth, and it would also help the locker room. After their big win against Toronto, Jason Dickinson said they needed that game and the subsequent good vibes in the locker room, especially with everything going on. Maybe Davidson and company want to take the season for what it is and look toward the draft lottery again, but getting help could bring life to the locker room and show there is still fight to try to make the most of another tough season.
If I were Davidson, I would at least explore the trade market. Maybe someone like Conor Garland (Vancouver Canucks), who requested a trade, could make sense. But decisions can change fast in the NHL, and Davidson might have ideas he wants to keep to himself for now, or maybe not. Either way, we’ll better understand the roster outlook as the season goes on, but it isn’t apparent right now.
3. The Mysterious Corey Perry Debacle
As aforementioned, Perry is away from the team, which started when he was made a last-minute healthy scratch against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 22, which head coach Luke Richardson called an “organizational decision.” Perry’s agent Pat Morris, released a statement saying that Perry is attending to “personal matters”, and Davidson’s full explanation was, “There’s no update on that end. He’s away from the team and will remain so for the foreseeable future. I’m unable to provide any further update on that front.”
This is such a sensitive spot to be in for both the team and the player. On one hand, fan speculation and the yearning to know what is going on with Perry is valid. The NHL is a fan-driven league, and the tickets for games, merchandise, and TV packages they buy to watch this team pay player’s salaries. On the other hand, athletes are humans and have a right to privacy. Life is much bigger than hockey, and this situation brings back the debate about how much information people are entitled to about athletes. Perry is beloved in the locker room, alternate captain, to be exact. He is one of their top producers, and many have grown up knowing his name for the past 19 years in the NHL. People are obviously concerned, but this story will have a resolution eventually, just not right now, and that’s okay. Whether there is an update in a week or even months from now, details will come if/when Perry and the team feel comfortable.
My biggest critique is that I believe the Blackhawks should have said from the beginning that it was a personal matter because it is a broad term that gives a semblance of an answer while protecting the situation until they’re ready to share more. Still, the bottom line is that we’re not privy to the ins and outs. So, the best that can be done is to let this situation resolve itself and hope for the best for Perry.
Related: Meet the New Blackhawks: Corey Perry
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.
