Blackhawks Player Grades: Philipp Kurashev

Kurashev fell out of favor in the lineup. With the top-six wing positions solidified by the likes of Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, Kurashev was fighting for playing time. He earned some looks early in the season with his former running mate, Connor Bedard, but could not stick on the top line. He was relegated to bottom-six roles for the rest of the season, battled injuries, and found himself as a healthy scratch at times.

Now, Kurashev enters the summer without a guaranteed contract for next season. In addition, the Swiss forward is not guaranteed a roster spot with the amount of young talent on the way. There is a really strong chance that Kurashev is playing elsewhere in 2025-26. 

If Kurashev returns, he will be competing with players like Nick Foligno, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert, Lukas Reichel, and other youngsters for a roster spot. As it stands, finding a spot for Kurashev feels more difficult than ever before. 

Player Grades

Steve Kwiatkowski's Grade: F

Big disappointment. I didn't think the previous season was a true indication of Kurashev's ability, and I certainly didn't think he was going to be Bedard's winger. But to go from a 54-point season to 14 points is a tough pill to swallow.

Tony Marchese's Grade: D-

It is pretty difficult to find another member of the Blackhawks forward group that fell out of favor faster than Phillipp Kurashev did from 23-24 to 24-25. After skating largely with Connor Bedard during Bedard's rookie season, to becoming a healthy scratch more times than you can count on one hand just a year later, Kurashev's season is hard to categorize as anything other than a disappointment. What happened? 

Well for one, he shot the puck a lot less. As the Great One once said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take", that can apply to Kurashev in this review. It is quite shocking to see him end the season with just a total of 54 shots on net given the fact that he amassed 128 just last season. Even more shocking might be the fact that he still finished the season with a 13% shooting percentage, which is only a tick off his 14.1% just a season ago. 

Some may argue that it is hard to amass 128 shots when your ice time is reduced from an average of 19 minutes a night to just 13:43, and you find yourself in the press box on some nights, but that was largely the story of his season after getting off to a slow start.

Ron Luce's Grade: F

It doesn't even feel good giving Philipp Kurashev a F. After a MAGICAL season on Connor Bedard's wing last season, Kurashev took a huge step backwards, finding himself as a healthy scratch more often than a regular contributor. Such a huge step back is rough, as Kurashev's two-year deal from arbitration is expiring. It was a tale of two seasons, with the most recent being a fraction of what he showed a year ago. With such a bad grade, it's fair to wonder if Kurashev's future in Chicago is all but sealed, and his NHL career will continue elsewhere. 

What's On Tap Next?

With Kurashev's future in Chicago up in the air, he may not have done enough to convince Kyle Davidson to keep him around. the Swiss forward was a Stan Bowman draft pick, so he is not necessarily one of Davidson's "guys." If he is to play in the NHL next season, it will likely be for a new club.

Tell us if you agree with our grades! What would you give Philipp Kurashev? Let us know at @FourFeathersPod on X and Instagram!