Report: Kurashev’s Days as a Blackhawk Just About Done

After a breakthrough season last year largely alongside Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks fifth-year forward Philipp Kurashev has fallen off a cliff this season, and is now such an afterthought—scratched in 12 of the team's last 16 games—that it's inevitable that his days in Chicago are just about done.

Per Harman Dayal and Chris Johnston in The Athletic, the restricted free agent will be gone either sooner or later, whether by trade, or simply letting him go at season's end by not tendering him a qualifying offer.

The 25-year-old, who produced 18 goals and 54 points last season while playing over 19 minutes per night, has a mere four goals and seven points this year in 32 contests, while his time on ice has been drastically reduced when he does get into a game, down by over four minutes.

It's unknown if a stunning two-point performance on Monday night in an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers has salvaged any hope for him in the Windy City.

As the writers have noted, "The Blackhawks have been heavily underwater in shots, goals and expected goals during Kurashev’s five-on-five minutes this season."

The Swiss-born forward was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Hawks, and after recording no more than 25 points in a season in his first three years with the club, he exploded last season, some would say riding the coattails of Bedard, to his 54-point career-high. This season? No such luck.

"His lack of attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck and compete level are the biggest reasons the coaching staff has lost faith in him," write Dayal and Johnston.

After recording just one point in his previous 16 games (with those dozen scratches thrown in), he notched a goal and an assist Monday night, perhaps giving GM Kyle Davidson a shot at getting some team interested in tossing them a late-round draft pick for him in a trade.