Despite rising rapidly in the prospect ranks after an excellent QMJHL season, not many had Philipp Kurashev penciled into a spot on the Blackhawks roster this season. While the Blackhawks had explicitly stated they were focusing on the development and evaluation of their young players prior to the season start, Kurashev was still considered quite green, since his only season in the AHL was riddled with injuries and cut short due to COVID. The Blackhawks had plenty of other young players that were expected to get chances first — players like Pius Suter, Brandon Hagel, and Matthew Highmore — and several veterans were brought in to fill out the roster with experienced players — such as Mattias Janmark, Carl Soderberg, Lucas Wallmark, and even Brandon Pirri.
Examining the rookie season — and the potential — of Philipp Kurashev
