Blackhawks May Be Able to Trade Philipp Kurashev at Trade Deadline

Philipp Kurashev has been very disappointing for the Chicago Blackhawks this season after breaking out alongside Connor Bedard in 2023-24. Kurashev has fallen all the way to a fourth liner/healthy scratch and the Blackhawks would be lucky to be able to trade him this season.

Despite a horrible season in which the 25-year-old has four goals and seven points in 32 games, there are still some things that favour the Blackhawks to be able to potentially make a trade with a contender.

Kurashev has the potential to play better on his current line after being sat for a number of games recently. He is playing with Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato. This isn't the fourth line you would've expected to see and Kurashev's linemates are better than where they are slotted in the lineup. If they stay together for a little bit, there's a chance to see some more offense and better performances.

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Kurashev is coming off a two-point game, but as he's playing on the fourth line, he isn't getting a ton of playing time. He will have to make due like Donato has over the past season and a half. Kurashev has to get his confidence back and either work his way up the lineup or just earn more playing time in general.

For the Blackhawks, it has come down to one of two options with Kurashev. The team will trade him if they can, or let him become a UFA this summer after not qualifying him as a RFA. At this point, the only way Kurashev is going to be traded is if a contender is looking for depth with some potential, it costs a late round pick, the team has some extra cap space, and the Blackhawks retain half of his $2.25 million AAV cap hit.

If all or most of those elements are hit, then the Blackhawks will also free up a spot for someone else to come in and have a run in Chicago for the remainder of the season. This could be someone like Cole Guttman, who deserves it, if he isn't up with the team by then.

It is unfortunate that Kurashev's time with the Blackhawks is likely coming to an end this soon after last season and seeing what could have been, but I think he is still an NHL player and needs the right opportunity to get back to how he was playing.

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