Blackhawks officially move on from season’s biggest disappointment

The Chicago Blackhawks enter free agency looking for a fresh start. GM Kyle Davidson has a few openings on the roster, and free agency could be the perfect opportunity to add a player or two.

July 1 also officially ended the Blackhawks partnership with a former 2018 fourth round pick. Philipp Kurashev, 25, was set to hit free agency on July 1, and the Blackhawks did not tender a qualifying offer to him yesterday. Now, Kurashev is officially a free agent.

Blackhawks officially part ways with Philipp Kurashev, a former 50 plus point scorer.

Philipp Kurashev looked like a potential star in the making. During the 2023-24 NHL Season, Kurashev registered 18 points and 54 points in 75 games with the Hawks.

Kurashev was playing top line minutes alongside Connor Bedard and was building some great chemistry with the star forward.

The 2024-25 NHL Season was different for Kurashev. Kurashev went from a top line star to a forward who failed to crack the lineup most nights. In just 51 games, Kurashev registered 14 points and saw his ice time drop by over 5 minutes per game on average.

A rebuilding Blackhawks team no longer saw the benefit of keeping Kurashev, which shows how much Kurashev has fallen out of favor.

There definitely will be some team willing to pay Kurashev a contract. He is a player looking for a fresh start—look at how well that went for Dylan Strome a few years back.

Kurashev could be an affordable third line forward on a team looking to contend. He is a low risk, high reward addition that definitely will be of interest, especially with a weak free agent class.

With Kurashev's exit, the Blackhawks are without a doubt looking for a top six forward. It should be an interesting day ahead!