The Athletic’s Blackhawks beat writers, Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus, noted that Louis Crevier, Wyatt Kaiser, and Arvid Söderblom will get a qualifying offer, while Philipp Kurashev will be allowed to leave in free agency.
The Chicago Blackhawks began an important offseason by ensuring Ryan Donato didn’t hit the open market, signing the forward to a contract extension. He was the only pending unrestricted free agent the team considered essential to retain.
As for restricted free agents, the Blackhawks have a few they’re planning to keep. According to reports, three players—Louis Crevier, Wyatt Kaiser, and Arvid Soderblom—are expected to receive qualifying offers.
However, forward Philipp Kurashev is reportedly not among them, as he won’t be given a qualifying offer, according to The Athletic’s Blackhawks reporters, Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus.
Bringing Crevier, Kaiser, and Soderblom back is the right call.
Deciding how long to keep both players will be an important call for the Blackhawks. Louis Crevier is best suited for a one-year contract. While he brings solid size and has proven he can handle the role of a reliable seventh defenseman, he doesn’t have the same upside as Chicago’s other young blueliners.
Crevier fits well as the extra defenseman—often a healthy scratch, but dependable in case of injury and capable of eating minutes when called upon.
Wyatt Kaiser, on the other hand, might warrant a two-year deal, similar to the one Lukas Reichel received last offseason. Kaiser hasn’t done enough yet to establish himself as a long-term piece of the puzzle. He’ll be 23 next season, and if he breaks out, the team would be smart to avoid being forced into a lengthy extension based on one strong year.
Even if he delivers an inconsistent performance, giving him another “prove-it” season in 2026–27 makes sense, especially considering how early he is in his NHL development. This is likely the reasoning behind Reichel’s contract—giving him a window to improve while preserving trade value in case a change of scenery becomes the best option.
The same logic should apply to Kaiser. Next season will be critical for him to show consistency.
As for Arvid Soderblom, he proved his value in goal this season after many expected him to spend the year in Rockford. If not for Laurent Brossoit’s offseason knee surgery, Soderblom might not have had another shot in the NHL following a rough 2023–24 season.
But he made the most of his opportunity and showed he can be a reliable backup netminder. With Brossoit recovering from two knee procedures, the team now faces an interesting decision on who backs up Spencer Knight.
One possible route is trading Brossoit, who had been one of the stronger backups in the league before his injury—a major reason the team initially brought him in to replace Soderblom. However, his recent injury history could impact his trade value.
Alternatively, the Blackhawks might move Soderblom instead, who at age 26 could bring in a better return. Regardless, he should be signed to a two-year deal to give the team some short-term goaltending stability, especially if Knight is penciled in as the starter.
In either case, getting Soderblom officially under contract is a necessary first step.
Time to move on from Philipp Kurashev.
No player took a bigger step backward this season than Philipp Kurashev. After posting a breakout 2023–24 campaign with 18 goals and 36 assists, he ended up as a frequent healthy scratch.
Once a regular on the top line alongside Connor Bedard, Kurashev found himself relegated to fourth-line duty—when he was in the lineup at all.
His lack of production was a major letdown. Even if last season had been a high-water mark, the expectation was that he’d at least contribute speed and secondary scoring in a third-line role. Instead, he managed just seven goals and seven assists all year.
With a deep group of young forwards in the system, the Blackhawks have plenty of internal options who can fill that role more effectively—and more affordably. If Kurashev manages to regain his form elsewhere, so be it. The smarter move is to invest in a fresh face with upside rather than stick with a player whose sharp decline is now hard to ignore.
