NHL: Blackhawks ink first-round pick Kevin Korchinski, and more signing news
Anthony Scultore
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The Chicago Blackhawks have locked up Kevin Korchinski to an entry-level contract on Wednesday worth $950,000 per season.
Chicago made a huge splash prior to the 2022 NHL Draft by sending Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for the 7th overall pick, a second-round pick, and a third-round selection in 2024.
The Hawks used that first-round pick to select the defenseman.
Blackhawks sign Kevin Korchinski
“Signing Kevin is an exciting moment and another step in us building organizational depth,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a news release. “We knew that we wanted Kevin to be a big part of this team’s future, so we’re happy to have him within our system, developing in this early part of his professional career. His confidence and positive attitude paired with his size will be assets as he continues to grow his game in the WHL this upcoming season.”
Korchinski,18, plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League. He registered 65 points (four goals, 61 assists) in 67 games there last season.
Red Wings avoid arbitration with Jake Walman
The Detroit Red Wings avoided an arbitration hearing by signing defenseman Jake Walman to a one-year deal with an AAV of $1.05 million.
Walman was the last outstanding arbitration case on the docket which ended on Wednesday.
Walman, 26, played in 19 games for Detroit and picked up 4 assists. In 51 total games, split with the St. Louis Blues, he resisted 10 points in 51 contests.
Originally selected by the Blues in the third-round of the 2014 NHL entry draft, he was acquired by Detroit at the trade deadline. The big defender was in package with Oskar Sundqvist and a second-round pick for Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski.
Jets ink David Gustafsson
Restricted free-agent forward David Gustafsson agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
The deal, which has an average annual value of $775,000, is a two-way contract for 2022-23 and a one-way deal in 2023-24.
Gustafsson, 22, has one goal in 28 career games with the Jets since being selected by the club in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Swede did not dent the scoresheet in two games with Winnipeg last season, however he had 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 47 games in 2021-22 with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.
–Field Level Media contributed to this article