Although Yegor Chinakhov’s trade request from the Columbus Blue Jackets is public knowledge at this stage, there has yet to be a move. General manager (GM) Don Waddell has it clear that he’s not willing to make a move that doesn’t help his team, and Chinakhov’s agent, Shumi Babayev, has made it clear that the Russian forward will play out his contract if a move isn’t made. As a result, Waddell is certainly taking the right approach with a potentially valuable asset.
Chinakhov’s Current Value
Overall, Chinakhov’s value is currently at an all-time low. The 24-year-old winger is coming off of a back injury, and he never truly seemed comfortable once he returned near the end of the season. In his final nine games, he recorded just a single point, an assist against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before his injury though, he had an impressive start to the season putting up a 14 points in 21 games.
Ultimately though, Chinakhov being unable to perform when the Blue Jackets were in the middle of a battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference did quite a bit of damage to both his value and his relationship with the organization. He ended up getting healthy scratched by head coach Dean Evason due to his lack of production, which seemingly marked the beginning of the end of his time in Columbus.
Due to the public trade request, a lack of consistency over the course of his career, and a disappointing performance following his most recent injury, teams aren’t going to be quick to pay the Blue Jackets’ asking price for a player drafted in the first round. Whichever team ends up acquiring the Russian winger will be taking a major gamble, and as a result, they’re not going to be offering up much for him at this point in time.
Rebuilding Value
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Blue Jackets need to focus on rebuilding Chinakhov’s value as quickly as possible. A strong start to the season will do wonders, as it will show that he’s fully recovered from the injury and ready to go. However, a slow start could just as easily make things worse for trade negotiations.
Chinakhov’s biggest asset is undoubtedly his shot, but he’s not in the lineup often enough to truly show how impressive he can be. He has 30-goal potential at the NHL level, but over the last three seasons he’s played a maximum of 53 games. As a result, if the Blue Jackets are going to try to get the most out of a potential trade, the first thing they need to do is play him when he’s healthy. Simply put, if he’s not on the ice, he’s not going to improve his value. On the flip side of that , Chinakhov needs to stay healthy to raise his value as well, which he hasn’t proven he can do over the course of an 82-game campaign.
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Overall, Waddell has taken the correct approach to handling this trade request. Although he would’ve much rather kept it under wraps, as that would’ve undoubtedly made negotiations with opposing GMs much easier, he’s making the most of a bad situation and not caving to the pressure. There’s no true time crunch on getting a deal done, as even if Chinakhov remains with the Blue Jackets through 2025-26 , he’ll be a restricted free agent and the organization would retain his rights, severely limiting his options for playing in North America.
Regardless of how long this plays out, Waddell needs to continue holding to his word and waiting for a trade that benefits the team, not just Chinakhov.
