Have Blackhawks fans seen the last of Philipp Kurashev?

The 23-year-old center, who anchored the first line since the trade deadline, has officially been shut down for the season. Head coach Luke Richardson announced Tuesday morning that Kurashev wouldn’t be returning for any of Chicago’s remaining nine games.

Kurashev suffered an injury to his shoulder on his second shift in a matchup against the Washington Capitals on March 23. He took a hit from Tom Wilson, who was cutting across the ice on the defense when he crossed paths with Kurashev, ramming his left shoulder. Luckily, the injury won’t require surgery, just rest and recovery. The team elected to shut him down instead of rushing him back, especially with nothing left to play for this season.

Part Of The Tank?

The Blackhawks are still jockeying for position in the NHL Lottery, with the third-best odds to land the first overall pick. They’re now only one point in the standings ahead of the Blue Jackets and Sharks, who are tied for the lowest point totals. It’s clear to anyone that watches Blackhawks games that Kurashev helps keep the team competitive night in and night out. It makes sense at this point to take any excuse to make the roster even thinner, when every game is crucial.

History

The Blackhawks took Kurashev with the 120th overall pick in the 2018 Entry Draft when he was 18 years old. He signed his entry-level contract the following March and reported to the IceHogs. Eventually, he made his NHL debut in January 2021.

The Swiss forward logged a whopping 70 games this season. He finishes this campaign with nine goals, 16 assists, and 25 points, all career highs.

A Looming Decision

Kurashev is currently finishing out a one-year, $750K contract that he signed before the start of this season with the Blackhawks. At the end of this season, he’ll be eligible for arbitration as a restricted free agent.

Philipp Kurashev will represent one of the biggest storylines in Chicago heading into the 2023 offseason. He’ll still be 23 this summer, but the Blackhawks will likely have to lock him down with a multi-year deal. Such an agreement would further prove the team’s faith in him as a key part of their rebuild.

However, the brass in Chicago could view things differently. If they don’t feel as if Kurashev is worth the price tag they’ll inevitably have to pay, they could let him walk. Additionally, GM Kyle Davidson could decide that his team isn’t quite ready to start handing out multi-year contracts like the one they’d have to give him. In that case, Chicago could continue to slowly get back to contention by giving out low-cost contracts year after year. Thus, the decision looming about Philipp Kurashev is about more than just how well he plays. Fans should keep an eye on the Kurashev situation, because whatever the front office decides to do with him will reveal the real status of the Blackhawks’ rebuild.