EDMONTON — Somebody had to play with Connor Bedard last season, and the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t exactly teeming with viable options at that stage of the rebuild. Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps a little by default, Philipp Kurashev turned out to be that guy. Not that Kurashev was without skill, but in his first three NHL seasons, he had a modest 23 goals and 39 assists, carving out a role as more of a defensive-minded, bottom-six forward. Even in Rockford earlier in his career, he managed just nine goals in 42 games. He didn’t exactly scream “running buddy” for a generational offensive talent.
But the two found quick chemistry, and Bedard brought out the best in Kurashev, who proved capable of keeping up with Bedard’s feet and Bedard’s brain. Suddenly, Kurashev was an offensive weapon, scoring 18 goals (twice his career high) and 36 assists (more than twice his career high). Sure, the two were outscored 52-28 at five-on-five, but the Blackhawks were constantly drowning in possession and in goals against last season. That was hardly unique to the top line. Kurashev could hang.
Few saw the offensive explosion coming. But Kurashev did.
“I don’t know what other people think about me, but I always believed I could be a more offensive player,” he said.
Well, this season might be the ultimate test. It’s one thing to put up a bunch of points next to a player of Bedard’s caliber. It’s quite another to drive your own line.
Thanks to Kyle Davidson’s free-agent spending spree, Kurashev lost that primo gig as Bedard’s right wing. That’s Teuvo Teräväinen’s job for now, and after a 4-point night in a 5-2 win over the Stanley Cup favorite Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, he’s probably not giving it back anytime soon. But Kurashev was handed another excellent opportunity by Luke Richardson — second-line center, between former MVP Taylor Hall and former 30-goal scorer Tyler Bertuzzi. It’s a solid consolation prize — if Kurashev can prove worthy of it.
The Blackhawks seemed to be holding that 2C slot open for rookie Frank Nazar, but Nazar struggled through most of the preseason and started the season in Rockford. Instead, Kurashev moved back to his natural center position, with a chance to prove he can be more than just an accessory, that he can be a primary piece.
Because Bedard’s going to get his. If Kurashev can drive his own line, suddenly the Blackhawks lineup is a lot deeper, and a lot more formidable.
Richardson called Kurashev a “confidence guy,” who just needed to see one go in to make him believe he can be that guy. But Kurashev doesn’t seem to be hurting for confidence. Last season’s breakout clearly left him in a good headspace.
“It doesn’t really matter who I play with, to be honest with you,” Kurashev said before the game in Edmonton. “(Bedard and I) worked well together, but it’s up to me to show I can do this, too.”
Sure enough, Kurashev celebrated his 25th birthday by tallying his first goal of the season Saturday, opening the scoring by chipping a deflected Hall shot past Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard.
it’s his birthday and he will score if he wants to! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/RBDcIraD3y
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 13, 2024
The Blackhawks added a Seth Jones power-play goal in the second period, Bedard unleashed a patented snipe later in the period, and Teräväinen scored two power-play goals in the third as Petr Mrázek withstood Edmonton’s late push, finishing with 36 saves. Bedard and Jones each had a goal and two assists to go with Teräväinen’s 4-point night, Wyatt Kaiser goaded Connor McDavid into a key third-period penalty, and the Blackhawks followed up their strong performance in a gutting overtime loss in Winnipeg with a rousing victory over the Oilers in Edmonton.
Chicago is 1-1-1 through three road games against good teams, and has been in each game down to the wire.
“We like our group, for sure,” Bedard said. “And I think we can really frustrate teams and just be annoying to play against. I think that’s going to be our identity — a lot of simplicity. But we have the skill to make plays when it opens up.”
That’s a good description of Kurashev, who can play a simple, effective two-way game, and has been a part of the Blackhawks’ aggressive, effective penalty kill, but now knows he has the skill to contribute — with or without Bedard on his line. It’s a small sample less than a week into the season, of course, but it’s clear the difference it makes for the lineup if Kurashev can hold his own on the second line, allowing Jason Dickinson to focus on his shutdown role on the third line. Instead of just having one potent line and a couple of depth scorers, the Blackhawks have an actual top nine. And a chance against most teams.
The move back to center hasn’t fazed Kurashev. Even as Bedard’s winger, he assumed more of the defensive responsibilities usually assigned to the pivot while Bedard focused on his offense.
“It’s been good,” Kurashev said. “It’s been an adjustment, but even last year, I played center when we had a lot of guys injured. And the year before, I was mostly at center. So I’m used to that.”
The star power for these Blackhawks was evident Saturday, as Bedard and Teräväinen combined for seven points. But Chicago won’t go anywhere with just one line. Kurashev has to play a significant, if complementary, role for the Blackhawks to continue giving good team fits.
“He’s pretty adaptable,” Richardson said. “He’s a guy that you can put anywhere.”
Kurashev said he’s still learning the tendencies of Hall and Bertuzzi, but he likes the variety each player brings to the line. And hey, it’s only been three games. He figures he’ll see Bedard again at some point.
And he’ll be ready.
“We played almost the whole season together last year,” Kurashev said. “The season is long, it’s 82 games. A lot can happen and lines can be different every day. So I’m ready to play with everybody.”
(Photo of Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Philipp Kurashev and other Blackhawks celebrating Kurashev’s goal: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
