{"id":442036,"date":"2026-02-02T21:13:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/442036\/"},"modified":"2026-02-02T21:13:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:13:12","slug":"san-jose-sharks-philipp-kurashev-motivated-to-face-chicago-blackhawks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/442036\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Sharks’ Philipp Kurashev motivated to face Chicago Blackhawks"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2013 It\u2019s fair to say Philipp Kurashev is having more fun now in his first season<\/a> with the San Jose Sharks than he did in his fifth and final year<\/a> with the Chicago Blackhawks.<\/p>\n

One, the Sharks (27-22-4) are winning more games and are in the mix<\/a> for a playoff spot. Two, when he\u2019s healthy, Kurashev\u2019s been in the lineup on a more regular basis. With 15 points in 32 games<\/a> this season, he already has one more point than he did in 51 games with Chicago year.<\/p>\n

After Kurashev was scratched in 10 of the Blackhawks\u2019 final 19 games of 2024-25, the writing was on the wall, and as a restricted free agent, wasn\u2019t tendered a qualifying offer. He signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal<\/a> with the Sharks on the first day of free agency, and is set to be a RFA again this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to talk too much about how it was last year,\u201d Kurashev said in his return to the United Center on Monday before the Sharks played the Blackhawks.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty hard a year for me and for the team, of course. But I think just this year, it\u2019s been such a different experience, and I\u2019ve really enjoyed it so far. The way we are with each other, it\u2019s so positive and so much joy in our room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it shows on the ice, and we\u2019ve been able to have some success, but now it\u2019s time to keep it going and make that push.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kurashev was a fourth-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2018 and had 130 points in 317 games with the team. His best season came in 2023-24, when he was linemates with Connor Bedard and had 54 points in 75 games, averaging 19:01 in ice time.<\/p>\n

Everything changed the following the season. After Brad Richardson was fired as the team\u2019s coach<\/a> on Dec. 6, 2024, following a 8-16-2 start, and replaced in the interim by Anders Sorensen, Kurashev\u2019s ice time fell by over five minutes per game and his production cratered. He managed just nine points in his final 31 games with the team.<\/p>\n

Starting on Dec. 17, 2024, Kurashev was scratched for 12 of the following 15 games.<\/p>\n

All the while, the Blackhawks continued to have one of the worst records in the NHL.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard when we were out (of playoff contention) so early, right? Then it (gets) harder and things like that,\u201d Kurashev said. \u201cA lot of goes in it. You can\u2019t compare this year and last year. It\u2019s a completely different situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kurashev returned to the Sharks\u2019 lineup for Saturday\u2019s game against the Calgary Flames after he missed 19 games with an upper body injury. He had two blocks in 13:33 of ice time, but a turnover at the Flames\u2019 blue line late in the third period led to a delay of game penalty, cutting into the Sharks\u2019 chances of tying the game in what became a 3-2 loss to the Flames.<\/p>\n

Against the Blackhawks, Kurashev will be on a line with Michael Misa and Pavol Regenda to start. The Sharks have lost two straight and enter Monday two points out of a playoff spot.<\/p>\n

Kurashev said he \u201c100 percent\u201d carries a chip on his shoulder in his return to Chicago, but added, \u201cI don\u2019t think like this. It\u2019s a really important game for us. We have to get the win. We know it\u2019s the time now that we need every point we can get, and that\u2019s what the focus is on.\u201d<\/p>\n

LINEUP CHANGES<\/p>\n

The Sharks are shaking up their lineup for Monday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

Timothy Liljegren will replace fellow right-shot defenseman John Klingberg and winger Pavol Regenda will come in for center Zack Ostapchuk as the Sharks look to bounce back after losing to both the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames last week.<\/p>\n

Klingberg had puck management issues earlier in the season and was listed as having two of the Sharks\u2019 18 giveaways in their 3-2 loss to the Flames on Saturday. The last time he was a healthy scratch was on Nov. 26 when the Sharks lost 6-0 to the Colorado Avalanche.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does some good things with the puck,\u201d Warsofsky said of Klingberg, \u201cbut when we struggle to execute and break out pucks, we can\u2019t transition our game.\u201d<\/p>\n

#SJSharks<\/a> lines at morning skate v. #Blackhawks<\/a>:
Smith-Celebrini-Toffoli
Eklund-Wennberg-Graf
Regenda-Misa-Kurashev
Goodrow-Gaudette-Reaves<\/p>\n

Orlov-Liljegren
Ferraro-Mukhamadullin
Dickinson-Desharnais<\/p>\n

\u2014 Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) February 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ostapchuk, the Sharks\u2019 fourth line center, was last scratched on Dec. 13 when the Sharks charged back to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 in overtime. Since then, he has three goals and an assist, is averaging 10:14 in ice time and has won 88 of 168 faceoffs (52.4%).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been playing some good hockey. (This is) more of a reset,\u201d Warsofsky said of Ostapchuk, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators last March. \u201cHe\u2019s been playing a lot of hockey. Asked him to do a lot. He\u2019s improved since we got him last year. So more of a reset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goalie Yaroslav Askarov will start for the third time in four games on this road trip.<\/p>\n

SHERWOOD UPDATE<\/p>\n

Injured winger Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) was set to be evaluated Monday after he took part in the team\u2019s morning skate at United Center. If he came out of it OK, the door seems to be open to him making his Sharks debut on Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.<\/p>\n

Sherwood, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan.19, hasn\u2019t played since Jan. 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everyone\u2019s excited to get him back,\u201d Sharks forward Will Smith said of Sherwood. \u201cWe traded for him for a reason, and he\u2019s been awesome with us so far, so we\u2019re really excited to get him back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sharks are at 23 players and will need to create a roster spot if they want to activate Sherwood, who had 17 goals in 44 games with the Canucks this season.<\/p>\n

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