In a surprising move, the Chicago Blackhawks made some roster adjustments on Wednesday, sending forward Frank Nazar and defenseman Kevin Korchinski down to their AHL affiliate team. Defenseman Louis Crevier also found himself heading to Rockford of the American Hockey League, while 18-year-old forward AJ Spellacy was assigned to Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League after an impressive training camp following his selection in the third round of this year’s NHL draft.
Nazar, a first-round pick in 2022, made a strong impression in his NHL debut last season, scoring a goal against Carolina. However, with the Blackhawks making moves in the offseason that limited Nazar’s playing time, the decision was made to send him down.
“I think getting Frank to be down there to be a No. 1 center and to be on the power play, penalty kill, where if he’s here, that might dwindle, the ice time,” said Chicago coach Luke Richardson. “or even be in and out of the lineup as a young guy.”
Korchinski, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, also found himself on the way down to the minors. With five goals and 10 assists in 76 games last season, the Blackhawks hope this move will allow him to further develop his game.
“Kevin wasn’t able to go down last year to work on his game … so this is kind of a time for him to kind of do that,” Richardson explained. “We don’t want him to struggle here as a young defenseman. We want him to go and flourish down there just like what the organization saw when they drafted him.”
With these roster moves, the Blackhawks now have 28 players left in camp, including 15 forwards, nine defensemen, and four goaltenders. The team is gearing up for their opener against Utah on Tuesday night.
The hockey world is buzzing about these developments, and fans are eager to see how these young players will perform in the minors. Stay tuned for more updates on the Chicago Blackhawks and their upcoming season.
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