Chicago Blackhawks’ Philipp Kurashev awarded two-year, $2.25 million deal

Forward Philipp Kurashev has been awarded a two-year contract worth $2.25 million per season with the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Kurashev had asked for $2.65 million on a one-year deal, with the Blackhawks countering at $1.4 million per season over two years. Kurashev made a league-minimum $750,000 last year. An offseason projection from AFP Analytics expected a $1.766 million cap hit for Kurashev.

The 23-year-old is coming off a season that saw him record career-highs in games played (70), goals (nine) and points (25). It was his third NHL season, with the Switzerland native recording 23 goals and 62 points in 191 games.

Kurashev has nine goals and 22 points in 42 career AHL games, all with Rockford. Prior to making his NHL debut, Kurashev spent time with the NL’s HC Lugano during the 2020-21 season. He also spent three years with the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts, registering 179 points in 183 games over three years. Kurashev has plenty of experience with Switzerland in international play, highlighted by his 13 points in 24 games over three World Championships.

The Blackhawks don’t have any other free agents left to sign, with the team sitting at just over $13 million in cap space after the Kurashev deal, according to CapFriendly. The Hawks have had a busy offseason, acquiring Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry and drafting Connor Bedard with the first overall pick last month.