Sharks forward carries chip on shoulder after unceremonious Blackhawks exit

CHICAGO – It’s fair to say Philipp Kurashev is having more fun now in his first season with the San Jose Sharks than he did in his fifth and final year with the Chicago Blackhawks.

One, the Sharks are winning more games and are in the mix for a playoff spot. Two, when he’s healthy, Kurashev’s been in the lineup on a more regular basis. With 15 points in 32 games this season, he already has one more point than he did in 51 games with Chicago year.

After Kurashev was scratched in 10 of the Blackhawks’ final 19 games of 2024-25, the writing was on the wall, and as a restricted free agent, wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer. He signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Sharks on the first day of free agency, and is set to be a RFA again this summer.

“I don’t want to talk too much about how it was last year,” Kurashev said in his return to the United Center on Monday before the Sharks played the Blackhawks.

“It was pretty hard a year for me and for the team, of course. But I think just this year, it’s been such a different experience, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. The way we are with each other, it’s so positive and so much joy in our room.

“I think it shows on the ice, and we’ve been able to have some success, but now it’s time to keep it going and make that push.”

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.

Everything changed the following the season. After Brad Richardson was fired as the team’s coach on Dec. 6, 2024 following a 8-16-2 start, and replaced in the interim by Anders Sorensen, Kurashev’s 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.

Starting on Dec. 17, 2024, Kurashev was scratched for 12 of the following 15 games.

All the while, the Blackhawks continued to have one of the worst records in the NHL.

“It’s hard when we were out (of playoff contention) so early, right? Then it (gets) harder and things like that,” Kurashev said. “A lot of goes in it. You can’t compare this year and last year. It’s a completely different situation.”

Kurashev returned to the Sharks’ lineup for Saturday’s 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’ blue line late in the third period led to a delay of game penalty, cutting into the Sharks’ chances of tying the game in what became a 3-2 loss to the Flames.

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.

Kurashev said he “100 percent” carries a chip on his shoulder in his return to Chicago, but added, “I don’t think like this. It’s a really important game for us. We have to get the win. We know it’s the time now that we need every point we can get, and that’s what the focus is on.”

LINEUP CHANGES

The Sharks are shaking up their lineup for Monday’s game.

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.

Klingberg had puck management issues earlier in the season and was listed as having two of the Sharks’ 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.

“He does some good things with the puck,” Warsofsky said of Klingberg, “but when we struggle to execute and break out pucks, we can’t transition our game.”

Ostapchuk, the Sharks’ 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%).

“He’s been playing some good hockey. (This is) more of a reset,” Warsofsky said of Ostapchuk, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators last March. “He’s been playing a lot of hockey. Asked him to do a lot. He’s improved since we got him last year. So more of a reset.”

Goalie Yaroslav Askarov will start for the third time in four games on this road trip.

SHERWOOD UPDATE

Injured winger Kiefer Sherwood (upper body) was set to be evaluated Monday after he took part in the team’s 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.

Sherwood, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan.19, hasn’t played since Jan. 10.

“I think everyone’s excited to get him back,” Sharks forward Will Smith said of Sherwood. “We traded for him for a reason, and he’s been awesome with us so far, so we’re really excited to get him back.”

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.