2026-27 Prove-It Players: Central Division
We continue our look into younger players who face a big season ahead. Up next is the Central Division, after looking at the Atlantic. In order to qualify for the list, nominees must be returning to their same team as last season, aged under 25, mostly past “prospect” status but having yet to cement themselves at the highest level either.
Kevin Korchinski – Chicago Blackhawks
Drafted seventh overall in 2022 to be a pillar of the Chicago rebuild, Kevin Korchinski‘s stock has mostly gone backward since a 76 game debut in 2023-24. He looked solid back then, all things considered, recording 15 points. A -39 was fully indicative of what the defenseman was up against, skating on a 53-loss team as a 19-year-old who in hindsight would’ve been better off with another year in the WHL. Over the past two seasons, the now 22-year-old has played just 29 games for Chicago, his ice time dwindling to 13:38 this past season, increasing moderately in his April stint to wrap up the year. A learning curve is to be expected for any offensively skilled breakout machine, but unfortunately the Saskatoon native’s growing pains persist. In 53 games for the Rockford IceHogs in 2025-26 Korchinski recorded 26 points. The numbers aren’t eye popping, but on a team below .500, he has been an AHL All-Star the past two seasons, including being named the event’s MVP this past February.
Still a restricted free agent, there’s no guarantee Korchinski will even be with the Hawks come training camp, but unless they’re ready to give up on the youngster there’s a clear spot at the table as a seventh defender. Going all-out on a trade for Bowen Byram, such is a move that wouldn’t have been needed if the fellow lefty had reached his potential by this point. Being aggressive enough to do that, it’s clear that general manager Kyle Davidson is serious about winning, and as a byproduct, Korchinski’s leash is even shorter. Surpassing his rookie total in games seems virtually impossible, but if he can stick on the roster all year with improved defensive acumen it would be a win. On the other hand, if Chicago comes out and surpasses expectations without him finding his stride, Korchinski is a candidate for a “win-now” trade in the Windy City.
Joakim Kemell – Nashville Predators
A 22-year-old with just 18 NHL games under his belt, Joakim Kemell has hardly had the chance to get acclimated at the highest level. It’ll be now or never for the 2022 first-rounder. Kemell had top 10 hype for the draft but eventually slid to Nashville at 17th. After 41 points in 67 games for the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2023-24, there was hope that the sniper could finally become a homegrown scorer for the Preds. He was rated second in their system by Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis two years ago. Since then his production has stalled out, with just 10 goals in 48 AHL games last year, enough that the winger dropped out of Ellis’ most recent top 10 rating altogether.
Making the rounds on the internet last fall after laying out Carolina star Andrei Svechnikov in the preseason with a massive hit, Kemell is mainly a shooter at 5’11”, unlikely to ever rewrite his game and become a trustworthy bottom-sixer. He got into 16 games for the Predators in the spring, coming away with a goal and three points on 10:25 a night. New GM Chris MacFarland was quick to bring in six new forwards, and the addition of Nils Höglander especially narrows the path for Kemell on the big club. Surely frustrated at the prospect of going back to the AHL after nearly 200 appearances for the Admirals, Kemell will have to dominate there, and even it might be too late. It’s top six or bust, and until something changes, there’s real shades of Eeli Tolvanen and how that ended three years ago.
Logan Mailloux – St. Louis Blues
Brought in from Montreal, it wasn’t looking so great with Zachary Bolduc starting hot next to Logan Mailloux‘s struggles. Gradually the tables turned, as the defenseman started to get more comfortable while Bolduc’s scoring tapered off. Re-signed back in January on a one-year pact to buy both parties another year before things improved, it was a challenging first full-time NHL campaign for the 23-year-old, jumping from seven NHL contests the year prior up to 67 for the Blues. Coming away with 13 points and a -10, Mailloux got a healthy dosage of ice time at 16:46 per game, starting over 56% of his work in the offensive zone.
By the end of the season Mailloux was playing over 20 minutes a night, ending the year with four points in his last four games. It was the exact type of development any non-playoff team wants to see in April. So while it’s not the most precarious situation, it’ll be key for Mailloux to build off the positive momentum and cement himself as a top-four piece in the St. Louis youth movement. With two nice scoring seasons put together in the AHL for the Laval Rocket as a Montreal prospect, unlocking more offense in the 2021 first rounder’s game is next on the list.
Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect