Kaedan Korczak – 2019 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Vancouver THW 2019 NHL Entry Draft Guide (Square)

2018-19 Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Date of Birth: Jan. 29, 2001
Place of Birth: Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Ht: 6’2” Wt: 192 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Position: Defenceman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible

Rankings

Kaedan Korczak suited up in every regular season game for the Kelowna Rockets this season and more than doubled his offensive output from his rookie season, jumping from 16 points to 33 (34 if you count his assist in the Rocket’s tie-breaker game when they fall to the Kamloops Blazers and missed the playoffs).

The 6-foot-2 blueliner is a very smooth skater who won’t wow you very often, but is more than capable at both ends of the ice. He has a strong first pass, is physical when he needs to be and can chip in offensively when called upon. Korczak is also a great 1-on-1 defender. This season, he was named the Rockets’ top defenceman, which is not surprising given the heavy minutes he logged in all situations.

Kaedan Korczak Kelowna Rockets
Kaedan Korczak is a two-way defender who can make an impact at both ends of the ice. (Marissa Baecker/Shootthebreeze.ca)

In October, Korczak was rated as a ‘B’ prospect by NHL Central scouting, indicating he was a good second or third-round candidate. Now that the draft is less than three months away, Korczak was worked his way towards the top-end of that projection. His game isn’t flashy, but it’s very effective.

Last August, the Saskatchewan native suited up for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup — the U-18 international tournament — where he notched three assists in five games. He also forged a friendship with possible top-5 pick Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants, as the two formed a defence pairing that helped Canada capture a gold medal. Korczak also played in the Canada/Russia Super Series for Team WHL and took part in the CHL Top Prospects game for Team Orr, as well as suiting up for Canada at the U-17s in the summer of 2017.

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Kaedan Korczak – NHL Draft Projection

Korczak is projected to be a second-round draft pick this June. He will most likely be taken in the first half of the second round.

Quotables

“A beautiful skater who moves the puck well and brings a 6-foot-3 frame to the table. At 188 pounds, there’s room for more bulk.” — Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News

“There’s still plenty of room in hockey for the complementary defenceman who holds down the fort. Korczak produces well in the CHL, but that won’t be his calling card at the next level.” – Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet

“A mobile, physical blueliner who is in the running for best one-on-one defender in his draft class. – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst

Strengths

  • Skating
  • Defensive Awareness
  • Physicality

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Offensive tools

NHL Potential

Korczak projects as a potential top-four defenceman at the NHL level.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 5/10 Defence –7.5 /10

Awards/Achievements

Korczak won a gold medal with Team Canada at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He was named a first-team All-Star in his second year of midget hockey playing for the Yorkton Maulers of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League (2016-17).

Korczak Interview/Profile Links

Videos