Blackhawks make bold decisions sending Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar to AHL
The Blackhawks didn't wait until the end of training camp to answer the two biggest questions of camp.
Both Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski were sent down to the AHL on Wednesday, firmly indicating the Hawks believe the two youngsters need more time to develop and gain confidence before they earn full-time NHL spots.
In the case of Korchinski, his quest was to re-earn his full-time NHL spot, although he may well have been in Rockford last year, too, had he been eligible. Wyatt Kaiser's health scare had seemingly opened the door for him to squeeze into the Hawks' defensive corps again this year after all, but he played so poorly in the Hawks' 7-2 preseason loss to the Wild on Tuesday that his fate became obvious.
For Nazar, the second-line center spot had been left somewhat available for him to claim, but he also didn't impress enough in his preseason action to convince the Hawks' ultra-patient front office that some minor-league conditioning wouldn't benefit him. He had already slotted in as Rockford's first-line center by the time their preseason game Wednesday morning began.
Depth defenseman Louis Crevier was also sent to Rockford on Wednesday, while standout forward prospect A.J. Spellacy was finally returned to Windsor, his OHL club.
Those transactions leave just seven healthy defensemen in camp, meaning Nolan Allan and Isaak Phillips have seemingly made the team — at least until Kaiser returns. If Allan plays in the regular-season opener Oct. 8, it would mark his NHL debut.
Up front, there are still some uncertainties. Sans Nazar, there's nobody particularly well-suited to be the second-line center, but Philipp Kurashev may be the most likely candidate.
This story will be updated.