54-point veteran forward to be healthy scratched after getting called out by his head coach
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson announced that center Philipp Kurashev will likely remain a healthy scratch for the team's game against the Canucks.
Kurashev originally missed time due to a wrist injury suffered in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. Although he has fully recovered unlike defenseman Alec Martinez who is on injured reserve Kurashev hasn't yet made it back into the lineup with the decision resting on the coach's discretion.
Richardson who has been head coach since 2022 with a record of 50-103-14 is focused on guiding the team through a rebuild. Benching Kurashev is part of that effort alongside other decisions like rumors of a potential trade involving former first overall pick Taylor Hall.
Despite the lineup change Kurashev is coming off a breakout 2023-24 season. He played 75 games scoring 18 goals & recording 36 assists for a total of 54 points making him the team's second highest goal scorer behind rookie star Connor Bedard. This was a big improvement from his previous season where he scored 25 points in 70 games.
Although Kurashev is currently out of the lineup it's likely Richardson will bring him back soon. However with his impressive performance last season & a fully healed wrist if the Blackhawks choose to move on from him other teams would jump at the chance to acquire him.
Will Kurashev return to the Blackhawks' lineup, or could he be headed to a new team? Stay tuned to find out.
