Kurashev is on a path that will see him leave Chicago after the season.
The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to build something that will be a long lasting success, but there have been some questionable decisions along the way. The team hasn't qualified multiple RFAs in the organization that could have made a difference the following season or even now.
Some of the decisions to not give some of their RFAs qualifying offers and allow them to hit free agency as UFAs weren't horrible, but given the recent history, Philipp Kurashev is in danger of the same fate after this season.
Three players the Blackhawks more recently didn't qualify and went on to sign elsewhere in free agency include Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, and Taylor Raddysh. These three all have the same thing in common. All of these forwards stepped up the following season and put up much better numbers.
Strome had already begun to turn things around for the better in his final year with the Blackhawks as he scored 22 goals and 48 points in 69 games, but exploded into a top line center these past two-plus seasons since signing with the Washington Capitals.
This separated the horrible decision to let a former third overall pick in Strome hit free agency as a 24-year-old and the decision to move on from Kubalik and Raddysh. Moving on from young players who go through a little adversity doesn't seem like the best choice for Chicago and all signs point to Kurashev joining that list.
Kurashev broke out for 18 goals and 54 points in 75 games last season, but has two goals and five points in 28 games and is being healthy scratched now. He is also -27 through the 28 games played this season. With this big of a drop-off, it mirrors what happened with Raddysh at the end of his time with the Blackhawks last season.
Raddysh scored 20 goals and 37 points in 78 games in a breakout year in 2022-23, only to struggle immensely and score five goals and 14 points in 74 games last season. This drop-off in production along with being dropped down the lineup and also healthy scratched were logical reasons to cut ties. Considering the exact same thing is happening to Kurashev at the same age, either the Blackhawks will learn from past mistakes or possibly lose a talented young player figuring things out.
Raddysh isn't a star like Strome has become since leaving, but Raddysh, while playing 2.5 fewer minutes per game in Washington as well, has four goals and 14 points in 31 games to this point. That's one goal off and the same amount of points in less than half the games while playing significantly less minutes. He didn't bounce back to a 20-goal scorer, but he is on his way to coming close to his career high of 37 points.
Kubalik sat somewhere in the middle of Strome and Raddysh. Kubalik didn't bounce back and show signs of becoming the player he was when coming into the league as a rookie, but he also didn't completely fall off offensively in his final season with the Blackhawks either before he wasn't qualified.
Kubalik scored 15 goals and 32 points in 78 games in his final season with Chicago. That is far from bad and even if he didn't receive a qualifying offer, the Blackhawks still chose to not even sign him for less money and keep him around. He proceeded to join the Detroit Red Wings and score 20 goals and 45 points in 81 games. Scoring isn't easy to find and he provided that season after season.
Head coach Anders Sorensen believes that Kurashev can turn things around and start producing better from here on out until the end of the season. I'm not sure how much trade value he has, if any, right now, so the only path is to work with the 25-year-old and get his game going again.
If Kurashev can flip a switch and end on a high note, history suggests that the team still may not give him a qualifying offer and he will become a UFA. That remains to be seen, but he would be a nice piece to have on this rebuilding team if he can get his game back.
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