Do The Penguins Have A Star Player In Egor Chinakhov?

Late in regulation Thursday - very late in regulation - against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins were awarded a power play opportunity despite trailing 6-2 with the game out of reach at that point. 

For the most part, the Penguins' best players weren't out on the ice. At this juncture, almost everyone had already checked out and was clearly looking ahead to the next one.

Well, almost everyone.

On that power play and with just 0.8 seconds on the clock, forward Egor Chinakhov gathered the puck in the slot area and released an 82.9 mph wrister that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy top-shelf and allowed Pittsburgh to go home on with a better taste in their mouths. It also gave Chinakhov 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career - with 17 of those coming as a Penguin - and after casually, angrily, and effortlessly flinging that vulcanized piece of rubber into the net, he barely even flinched as he headed back to the bench and took a seat without a lick of celebration.

For Chinakhov, 82.9 mph is a pretty regular occurrence - and, according to NHL Edge data, it's actually below his average shot speed of 83.59 mph, which is 99th percentile in the league - but it's almost daily at this point that he shoots at least one puck 90 mph-plus. In fact, earlier in the period, Chinakhov released a 91.06 mph wrister, and this was after a first period in which he scored a beautiful goal on the backhand. 

And that's nowhere close to his season-high, ridiculous 99.03 mph wrister that he shot as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 22, or two shots against the Dallas Stars on Mar. 28 that registered at 98.61 and 95.17.

At this point, everyone - fans, teammates, coaches, and media alike - is aware of how lethal a weapon Chinakhov possesses with his shot, which is quite literally one of the very best in the NHL. His teammates' eyes light up when you ask about it, and they usually crack a smile, too. That asset alone could make him a solid middle-six option on any team, barring that he scores at a relatively high rate. 

But that's the thing with Chinakhov: It's not just the shot. He's also tapping more into his playmaking ability in minutes alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are more than capable of finishing plays on their own. It's his smarts, as he never makes bad line changes, is always in the right position to make plays, and knows how to expose the danger areas to create chances for himself and his teammates.

It's also his defensive capabilities, as he's almost always the first forward on the backcheck, he's the first guy up to cover the point on a defensive pinch, and he's keen in using his stick detail and ability to read plays to disrupt. And, then, there's his speed, which is a huge asset to his overall game in all three zones. His forechecking isn't lacking, either, as he fairly consistently wins puck battles and forces the opposition into defensive zone mistakes. 

The fact of the matter is that the Penguins didn't get their hands on a one-dimensional goal-scorer. Again, that alone would be enough to elevate him to near-star status if he would be able to maximize that skill. He has 17 goals and 30 points in 38 games since joining the Penguins, and that production is top-five on the team during his tenure. 

Instead, they seem to have gotten their hands on an elite goal-scorer with the hockey IQ, puck skills, and speed to be an elite top-line option on the wing. 

Of course, making proclamations about a 25-year-old former first-round pick (21st overall in 2020) who has never produced to this extent, has struggled to remain healthy, and needed a change of scenery after a very rough start with his former team (three goals and six points in 29 games) is, typically, doing a bit too much.

Usually, there is some underlying reason that these kinds of players fail to flourish in a sustained manner. They peak after their initial introduction to a new environment, and they revert back to the old, standard version of themselves.

But something feels different with Chinakhov. And it certainly has a lot to do with those aforementioned details in his game. But it's also easy to tell when a player has instant chemistry with certain players and fits into a team's system, and there is skill involved as far as the ability to play with elite playmakers in the NHL.

Chinakhov immediately developed chemistry with Malkin upon arrival - Malkin has assisted on seven of his 17 goals, including six primary assists - and they were a staple together until Malkin was in and out of the lineup in the month of March due to injuries and a five-game suspension. 

Now, he is on a top line with Crosby, and he hasn't missed a beat, putting up three goals and four points in the three games he's been 87's flank. And he had a million chances to score in an 8-3 rout of the New York Islanders as well - when he was one of three players who failed to register a point - hitting iron a few times and having three additional dangerous shots on goal. 

The Penguins have found a way to unlock a version of Chinakhov that was probably always there but just never quite broke through. Head coach Dan Muse and the rest of the Penguins' coaching staff is known for their individualized approach to coaching, and they don't try to force players into being something they're not. A prime example is Erik Karlsson, who struggled to adapt and play at optimal capacity for two seasons under a different coaching staff and who is thriving under a new one that unleashes him and allows to be the version of the player who has won three Norris Trophies.

In Pittsburgh, Chinakhov isn't buried in bottom-six minutes. He's not being asked to play in roles that don't suit him. He's thriving in a role that plays to his strengths and allows him to, simply, be himself. 

And if the Penguins can re-sign the restricted free agent this summer continue to get this version of Chinakhov - the one who is scoring at a 37-goal, 65-point pace with, potentially, an even higher level to reach - they might just have a budding star on their hands.

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