It’s extremely important for 2 young Chicago Blackhawks’ defensemen to be in Rockford for the Calder Cup playoffs

Even though the Chicago Blackhawks’ season came to an end last week, there is still hockey to be played within the organization that means something. The Rockford IceHogs begin their quest for the Calder Cup in the AHL on Wednesday against the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. They finished the season with a 31-33-6-2 record and will get the final two games in this best-of-three series at home on Friday and Sunday of this week.

Plenty of Blackhawks prospects have spent at least part of the season down in the AHL, and a few were eligible to return to the Hogs for the playoffs. A notable name that began his season down in Rockford, who made a ton of noise at the end of the season in Chicago, is Frank Nazar. The former first-round draft pick netted a goal in the Blackhawks’ final three games of the campaign and was one of the top scoring rookies once the calendar flipped to 2025.

While Nazar isn’t with the IceHogs this week in their playoffs, two marquee defensemen were sent down to continue their seasons with the team.

Chicago Blackhawks’ blue liners are down in Rockford for the playoffs

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks Mar 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov (55) skates with the puck against Los Angeles Kings during the second period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski are playing in the Calder Cup playoffs this year after both blue liners spent most of their respective seasons with the team. Levshunov was the second overall pick of the 2024 draft and signed his entry-level deal last summer instead of returning to Michigan State for a second season of college hockey.

Before getting the call to spend the final 18 games of the season in the NHL, Levshunov logged 52 games with the IceHogs this year. The right-shot defenseman had five goals and 17 assists in AHL action this year to go with his 0 plus/minus rating. The Blackhawks’ coaching staff was really impressed with what Levshunov brought to the table and how much of an impact he made from the jump in his time at the NHL level this year.

In 18 games with the Blackhawks, he had six assists and a -13 plus/minus rating. Levshunov is still looking for his first NHL goal, and while his plus/minus mark was not outstanding, he earned a lot of ice time and even a spot on the power play unit early on in his stint with the team.

Kevin Korchinski will need to fight for his roster spot this summer

NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins Apr 8, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Connor Dewar (19) and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski (14) chase the puck during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Korchinski needs more ice time this season badly, and the playoffs are a perfect opportunity for him to get more work in. After spending all of last season in the NHL because he didn’t have AHL eligibility in his contract, the top-ten draft pick in 2022 played 56 games with the IceHogs this year.

The 20-year-old’s AHL numbers weren’t bad by any stretch this season, as he had three goals, 24 helpers, and a -17 plus/minus rating. In his two stints with the Blackhawks this year, Korchinski looked more confident each time he stepped on the ice. Despite this, he is still very raw and needs to tighten up his game badly. With Chicago having depth in the defensive group this season, Korchinski was a healthy scratch multiple times.

This summer will be important for Korchinski, as it won’t be easy to crack the opening night roster out of camp this season. With other young left-shot defensemen like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan having stong seasons in the organization, Korchinski will need to stand out to avoid beginning another season in Rockford.