As expected, the Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly moving on from Philipp Kurashev after a poor season. Frank Seravalli reported that Kurashev, as well as Cody Glass of the New Jersey Devils and Klim Kostin of the San Jose Sharks, would not receive qualifying offers from their teams and would become UFAs.
It is unfortunate because he looked like a promising piece for the Blackhawks moving forward after breaking out on the top line with Connor Bedard in 2023-24 and scoring 18 goals and 54 points. With more of a competitive roster, Kurashev wasn't getting regular time on the top line and on the top power-play unit. The 25-year-old's numbers dropped to seven goals and 14 points in 51 games and he was healthy scratched a fair bit. His ice time also dropped from 19:01 to 13:43 per game.
While Kurashev's power-play time evaporated, he did start killing more penalties. This is something he will be able to use when looking for a new team to play for next season. There are 31 other options and he is likely to get close to a league minimum contract, but could get up to $1 million AAV.
I think Kurashev will sign, but only for one year. After a bad season like the one he had, there will be concerns about whether he can bounce back. Even if his contract is under $1 million and he gets cut from the NHL roster, it's one less thing to worry about for longer than a season.
Just like how Taylor Raddysh had a breakthrough season and then fell off the following season, only to sign elsewhere and bounce back in a way, I think Kurashev is capable of doing the same. He has skill and it just seemed like he had lost his role in Chicago. Whether it is on a rebuilding team or contender, there is less risk than reward for another team to sign Kurashev.
