Oh, Kevin Korchinski. I’m so sorry to banish you to Buffalo—you don’t deserve this—but unfortunately, other guys got moved up the list and someone had to move down.
Korchinski won’t even be 21 until the end of June, but he’s already got two professional seasons under his belt, and with a not-great team to boot. At least that will be familiar as he lands with the Sabres in this re-draft.
The flashes of brilliance we’ve seen from Korchinski offensively so far in his career aren’t a fluke; they’re who he could be as a player if he were on a roster that had the necessary skill to allow him to play his game freely.
At his best, he’s constantly frustrating opponents in the middle lane, stunning in transition, and he’s got the potential to be a true power play quarterback. With that comes the almost-obvious caveat that he needs to be better in his end, but he’s been working on improving his decision-making, including, crucially, decisions about when to take risks. If he can tighten up that area, he’ll be a blessing to any roster.
