"Just something we've reinforced with him is to have more of a shooter mentality, maybe feel a little more selfish, don't pass up as many shots as he had been in the past," Eaton said. "And I think he's done a great job of kind of walking that line, literally and figuratively, on the power play, of knowing when to distribute and when to get shots off and to the net. With his skating he does such a great job of reading the opportunities of when to jump into play, when to be that second-wave option.
"He's a real coachable kid, and that was something that he mentioned he wanted to focus on a little more for this season, having more of that shooter mentality, and he's definitely followed through with it."
Korchinski's goal for the remainder of the season is to keep refining his offensive game (he's third in the WHL among defenseman with 52 assists) while also honing his defensive skills and trying to maintain his strength.
At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, said he understands he'll have to get stronger to play at the next level. But Seattle (46-9-1) leads the WHL Western Conference and is eyeing a berth in the Memorial Cup, which will be held May 25-June 4.
Reaching the Memorial Cup certainly is a goal, but it also means a shorter offseason to get ready to push for an NHL spot.
He got a head start in that regard by playing in three preseason games this season and sticking in training camp until Oct. 3.
"I feel like I gained the knowledge of how it is to be like a pro and how you have to treat it as a job obviously," he said. "You've got to be perfect in all aspects, whether it's on-ice, off-ice, in the gym, diet, all that stuff, be really dialed in. So I kind of learned what it was like to be a pro and I was able to bring that into this year.
"This season I've worked with a lot of the Blackhawks management on just kind of the habits, taking care of my body, keeping that strength through the season, then obviously this offseason will be huge for me."
Another advantage to playing deep into the postseason would be the chance to play more on a pair with defenseman Nolan Allan, the Blackhawks' first-round pick (No. 32) in the 2021 NHL Draft, who Seattle acquired in a trade with Prince Albert on Nov. 16.
"He's awesome, he really plays the game like a pro," Korchinski said. "He defends, blocks shots. He makes the right play, he can join offensively, just about do everything. He's confident. ... It's awesome just to be around him in the room. He's a friend and obviously he's a guy that I'll be kind of having my career with, you could say, almost joined together because he's going to be doing the same path as me. It's awesome having him and our team seems really happy."
Eaton also is happy to see the Blackhawks' top defensemen prospects growing together.
"Maybe a little glimpse into the future of the Blackhawks," he said. "A third of our [defense] corps hopefully for the future and a long time to come."
