Philipp Kurashev is talented. He wouldn’t have scored 18 goals and 36 assists last season without skill—especially on a Chicago Blackhawks team that could not score a goal even if the other team’s goalie left the net like Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks. Heading into this season, everyone expected him to pick up where he left off. The added forward depth should have only bolstered his — and the entire Blackhawks’ — offensive production. But, like much of the team’s season, that has not unfolded according to plan.
Kurashev’s five points and minus-17 rating have caused head coach Luke Richardson to scratch him three times. This is less about punishment than motivation – the coaching staff’s modus operandi this season. For players like Ryan Donato and Lukas Reichel, the approach has borne fruit. However, Kurashev has not responded well.
Igniting that spark in Kurashev requires a new angle, and one option worth considering is increasing his ice time. It could help him rediscover that confidence, which helped him to a career-best season in 2023-24.
Kurashev’s Decrease in Ice Time This Season
The more time a player spends on the ice, the easier it should be for them to find their groove. Conversely, the less time they play the harder it is to establish a rhythm. This season, unfortunately, the latter has been true for Kurashev. Through 22 games, he has averaged 16 minutes of ice time. Last season, he averaged 19 minutes. That is roughly a 16% decrease, which is significant for a top-six forward. Expecting him to produce at the same rate while playing much less is unrealistic.
Of course, the natural question is whether Kurashev’s reduced playing time is a result of his poor production or his poor production is a result of his decrease in ice time. NHLers earn the opportunities they receive. However, a closer look at his numbers suggests that he started the season at a disadvantage.
Through the first 10 games, Kurashev saw an immediate dip in ice time. He averaged 15:47 compared to 18:44 after the first 10 games last season. Furthermore, 14 times in 22 games this season, he has played less than 17 minutes. Last season, he played less than 17 minutes nine times in 75 games. Something changed.
Kurashev has three points in games he has logged fewer than 17 minutes and two points in games when he has played more. His shot total split between that 17-minute mark is not much different: 9 to 15. He scored two of his three goals when he eclipsed the 17-minute mark, and the game he recorded his highest shot total (four) also came when he played more.
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Overall, though, the difference in production is negligible. Kurashev may simply be trying to tread water while fighting the whiplash of being tapped as a key player one game and overlooked as an expendable one the next.
2023-24 NHL Season Provides Insight
Last season, 51 of Kurashev’s 54 points came in games when he played more than 17 minutes. He matched or eclipsed his highest shot total (four) this season six times last season—never while playing less than 17 minutes. Three of the eight games in which he registered no shots came when he played under 17 minutes. Most telling, his shooting percentage dropped from 18% to 5% when played fewer than 17 minutes.
PHILIPP KURASHEV OT HERO pic.twitter.com/rOyPihtoJ6
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 11, 2024
Those are just the surface offensive statistics. His Corsi for percentage—how much the Blackhawks control the puck with Kurashev on the ice–has dropped 6% between last season and this one. The number of shifts he starts in the offensive zone is down 13%, suggesting he is being deployed in a more defensive role. However, he is on pace to dip below his career-worst minus-44, which indicates that this deployment is not working.
I could go on and on about the dip in Kurashev’s numbers. Of course, he is ultimately responsible for what he produces with the ice time he is given. The question is, what exactly is Kurashev being given? A reduced, more defensively-focused role appears to be the answer.
Kurashev Lost in the Shuffle
The Blackhawks brought in plenty of new players this offseason to address the deficiencies plaguing the team. Sometimes, new blood can disrupt the role a player has established. Kurashev, who played top-six minutes last season, now often finds himself a healthy scratch, playing fewer minutes and seeing fewer offensive opportunities. Given how frequently the Blackhawks lines have been shuffled and how the team continues to struggle offensively, it might be time to lean more heavily on Kurashev, who has proven he can produce in the past.
