Yegor Chinakhov was drafted in the 1st round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov will finally be traded. He has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for multiple draft picks. The picks are a 2026 2nd round pick and a 2027 3rd round pick. They have also acquired forward Danton Heinen.
This ends a multi-year saga with the Russian winger dating back to 2023.
Chinakhov played in 29 games this season and posted 6 points. For his career, which was mostly marred by injuries, he played in 204 games and totaled 77 points. His career high in points came in 23-24 when he scored 16 goals and had 29 points.
The forward was picked by former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen in the 2020 draft. When he was drafted, there were experts all around the hockey world who had no clue who he was, prompting people to wonder what Kekäläinen was thinking.
Back in 2023, there were rumors that he was "unhappy" in Columbus and may want out. His agent, Shumi Babaev, told THN Columbus that "At the moment, there are no conversations about a trade on our part. He likes Columbus, both the team and the city." He went to tell us that "We are in touch with the General Manager (Jarmo), the only thing Yegor wants is to have more ice time, feel the coach's trust, and help the team win more games. He's very happy after yesterday's game. Felt great on the new line."
Danton Heinen has played 13 games this season and has two points. For his career, he's played in 579 games and has 243 points. Heinen was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL.
Don Waddell said in a press release, “This trade provides us with additional draft capital over the next two years and a good two-way player in Danton Heinen that will add to our organizational depth at the forward position." He goes on “With regard to Yegor, we believe a change of scenery was in the best interests of both he and the club and we thank him for his contributions over the past five seasons.”
The Jackets play the Penguins this Sunday at Nationwide Arena.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.