Should the Penguins pursue this young forward?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises early on this season. At the time of this writing, they have an impressive 6-2-1 record and are second in the Metropolitan Division. With the Penguins being in a retool, this kind of start is undoubtedly impressive.
Now, with the Penguins having such a strong start to the season, it is fair to wonder if they could be open to adding a new player to their roster who could help them beyond this season. Because of this, one NHL trade candidate who the Penguins should seriously consider pursuing is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov.
Chinakhov was the subject of trade rumors all off-season, as the former first-round pick requested a trade from the Blue Jackets. While he remains with Columbus right now, it certainly is possible that this could change before the deadline passes. This is especially so when noting that Chinakhov has been scratched multiple times this season by the Blue Jackets.
With Chinakhov being a former first-round pick and still only 24 years old, he could be a good player for the Penguins to take a chance on. This is especially so when noting that he had 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games with the Blue Jackets back in 2023-24.
If the Penguins added Chinakhov, he would offer them another solid option for their middle six and power play. Furthermore, he could take that next step in a more consistent role on a team like Pittsburgh.