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Chicago Blackhawks unexpectedly cut ties with former 54-point scorer

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Jack Sutherland | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 10:46 AM ET

The Chicago Blackhawks are cutting ties with former 54-point scoring forward Philipp Kurashev, who was not given a qualifying contract offer and now becomes a UFA.

The Blackhawks are taking a new direction this summer with the hiring of new head coach Jeff Blashill, while retaining former interim coach Anders Sorensen as an assistant on his staff.

On the opening day of Blackhawks Development Camp, shortly after the end of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has also extended qualifying contract offers to several players on the team, but with one notable player left out.

While Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier and Arvid Soderblom all received qualifying contract offers from the Blackhawks, forward Philipp Kurashev was not offered one and can now become a UFA.

He was taken with the 120th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks, and would later be awarded a two-year contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $2.25 million from an independent arbitrator.

In 2023-24, Kurashev reached a new career-best 54 points (18G, 36A) and was one of the bright spots for a team that came nowhere close to getting to a postseason spot.

He has 130 points (48G, 82A) in 317 career NHL games, which up to this point have all been played in a Blackhawks sweater. He'll now be free to hit the open market and sign with a new club.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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