Defense
6’2/185
Left
Seattle Thunderbirds/WHL
Related: Tristan Luneau
Kevin Korchinski was one of the top draft-eligible defensemen in the WHL and plays in all situations for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He blends size and strong edges with great puck skills, making him one of the more intriguing defensemen to come out of the WHL. Korchinski started the season ranked 44th in the preliminary draft rankings, but throughout the course of the year, his stock has steadily improved due to a breakout season of sorts, as he has tallied 35 points in 38 games with the Thunderbirds. Korchinski is far from a finished product, but he has the potential to be a top 4 caliber defenseman in the NHL.
Size/Strength Good
Skating Excellent
Shot/Scoring Good
Puckhandling Great
Physical Play Average
Offensive Play Great
Defensive Play Average
Hockey Sense Below Average
Competitiveness Good
Strength
- When at the top of his game, is a highly skilled offensive defenseman, with good size and skating ability.
- Has Elite Skating speed and skating skills, which allows for him to make smooth plays in transition.
- Is a dynamic force on the Powerplay with his puck moving ability and his shot.
Areas of Improvement
- Inconsistent Play makes you doubt his potential at the next level.
- Too many Mental Mistakes.
- Poor decision making with the puck.
Scouting Report:
Out of all of the players in the 2022 NHL Draft, Kevin Korchinski is one of the toughest for me to evaluate. You see moments where he can be dominant in transition and in the offensive zone, and then the next shift, he’ll be a detriment to his team. Korchinski is a defenseman with great to elite straight-line speed, good to great crossovers, and good backward skating skills.
It allows for him to play a mobile transition game that often features him carrying the puck into the neutral or offensive zones. Kevin is a confident puck carrier that can enter the zone with the puck and attempt to create offense as a defenseman. He can dictate the pace of the game in transition and looks to involve his teammates. On the other hand, he can skate himself into a corner too often and is forced to either turn the puck over along the boards or make a poor decision with a pass that ends up going the other way. Korchinski can play under pressure well in the offensive zone, mainly due to his silky skating ability. His first step gives him enough power to quickly turn past an attacking player and protect the puck. He’ll make a quick move back to the forehand and dish a pass to a teammate, avoiding a turnover in the process. Like his puck carrying, there are times when his judgment on his passes can be off and result in a turnover or the puck exiting the zone. His “Jekyll and Hyde” nature makes you swing from “wow this kid’s skill is absurd” to “I wouldn’t draft this kid” depending on the shift. Scouts are very conflicted about Korchinski’s NHL Potential; there are times with he has the ability
to dictate the pace of the game, then there are times he makes dumb decisions with the puck, turns the puck over, and miss assignments entirely. His NHL Comparable is Shea Theodore, Defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights, who took some time to develop before establishing himself as a top 4 defenseman in the NHL. Like Theodore, Korchinski needs to be paired with a reliable defensive defenseman in order to thrive. Kevin Korchinski projects to be a defenseman who goes anywhere from the late first-round to mid-second round in the 2022 Draft.
Skill: Elite Skating defenseman, with great puck skills and is a dynamic force on the Powerplay
NHL Comparison: Shea Theodore
NHL Potential: Top 4 Offensive-Defenseman
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | PTS |
| 2020-21 | Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA | SMAAAHL | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 23 | 0 | 10 | |
| 2021-22 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 38 | 4 | 35 |
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