I am probably in the minority here. This whole situation with Kurashev kind of seems like lip service and has the makings for a possible trade in the near future. I'm not even pointing fingers or insinuating it wouldn't be justified, and i'm also not saying Kurashev shouldn't ask for more. I like Kurashev, but, personally, I don't really see a clear place for him in next seasons roster, let alone with the future of the Hawks, and I wouldn't be the least bit upset if he weren't back next season. Sure, in hindsight it could be a regrettable decision, as could trading any player away, but hindsight is 20/20.

I like Kurashev but I am not really seeing how this could possibly head to arbitration. Like dude...your career high is last season at 9-16-25 in 70 games. Sure, I think the box score doesn't reflect the player he completely is, he plays hard/gives great effort but you're 23 and have scored 62 points in 191 games.

I do agree I think within the next 2 seasons he won't be here anymore but I am curious to see what Davidson has offered him...anything more than $1.5M is too much for his current production imo.

Well, the thing is, people automatically think of arbitration as a negative, but it is a players right to elect for arbitration. It really doesn't have to be a negative thing. Look at it more as a tool to get an outside perspective that helps everyone get the right deal. I think, by giving him a baseline qualifying offer, he full expected, and probably encouraged, that Kurashev would file for arbitration. It's a tough time to figure out what the right numbers are because of the flat cap coupled with the predicted rise in the salary cap, players would like to get ahead of the curve and teams don't want to treat their players fairly will not getting themselves locked into contracts that could become a problem.

Sometimes the situation becomes negative, but it isn't inherently a negative thing.

I 100% agree with that - he really hasn't proven himself to be that piece but is still technically young enough to justify giving minutes. He will be around likely another season but I'd say about a 40% chance he is a hawk in 2024-25. 3 Scenarios - He proves himself useful enough and gets another 1 year or so, A vet will take his place that is an upgraded depth piece (3-4 MM AAV on a short deal), or a young prospect takes his slot in the lineup. Could see him as a trade deadline "hockey trade" for a different piece.