With each passing day, it appeared more and more like Yegor Chinakhov’s days were numbered with the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Monday afternoon, that news became reality.
The Blue Jackets traded their former first-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for two draft picks, a 2026 second rounder and a 2027 third rounder. The Blue Jackets also acquired Danton Heinen in the deal and assigned him to AHL Cleveland. The recent acquisition of Mason Marchment opened the door even further for a Chinakhov trade.
There was a lot of speculation that it would be the Buffalo Sabres who would have acquired Chinakhov given that it was Jarmo Kekalainen who drafted him in the first round back in 2020. But it was Kyle Dubas who stepped up and saw the untapped potential the winger still has.
What are the Penguins exactly getting in Chinakhov? In short, a lot of promise mixed with a well-documented injury history and long stretches of inconsistent play.
Chinakhov’s Strengths
The first thing that pops off about Chinakhov’s game is his shot. Ever since he came into the Blue Jackets’ organization, that was the big takeaway most everyone noticed.
When Chinakhov has time and space, he has one of the more underrated lethal shots out there. He has the ability to beat goalies clean from distance if it’s on net. His hardest shot of the season was over 99 MPH in a November game against the Detroit Red Wings. He also has shown flashes of being able to do this at high speed which brings us to our next strength of his.
Chinakhov was one of the fastest skaters on the Blue Jackets including a top skating speed of 22.88 MPH and six different skating bursts of over 22 MPH. He also has had 60 occurrences of 20 MPH or more this season. He has the ability to excel on the rush and can finish when given an opportunity.
Chinakhov’s other strength is something he hasn’t gotten enough credit for. He’s a well-rounded enough player in that he can hold his own defensively. It’s especially noticeable when he reads plays and is able to disrupt passes while forcing turnovers. This aspect of his game really didn’t show itself much this season given his limited opportunity. But in spurts, he’s not a liability.
Chinakhov’s Weaknesses
Chinakhov has been all over the Blue Jackets’ lineup this season. He’s played everywhere in the top-12 while also spending quite a bit of time as a healthy scratch.
It’s that inconsistency when given an opportunity that led to this trade. Chinakhov requested a trade over the summer but the two sides talked through things before the season. But as soon as the inconsistency came up, this seemed like the most anticipated outcome.
For as good as Chinakhov’s skills are, he hasn’t shown them enough over a larger sample size. He has yet to hit at least 63 games in a season or at least 30 points in a season. It’s been a combination of not finding a stable role plus injuries.
Chinakhov missed a large chunk of the end of last season dealing with a back injury. Even when he was ready to return, he was down the depth chart enough that he didn’t come back.
The writing appeared on the wall when first, Chinakhov’s ice time was down five minutes from last season. Also, when Isac Lundestrom was injured at practice Saturday, it was Brendan Gaunce and not Chinakhov who took the spot on the fourth line. When an AHL callup is higher on the depth chart, that’s a sign that a fresh start was needed on both sides.
While Chinakhov’s shot is lethal, his ability to find lanes and get open continues to be a work in progress. Perhaps on a Penguins’ team that has some star offensive power, he will get more opportunities to score. He couldn’t consistently finish enough with the Blue Jackets when he got his chances.
One of the big questions the Penguins will have to answer is where in their lineup does Chinakhov fit? He wanted a bigger role with the Blue Jackets but fell down the depth chart instead.
Final Thoughts
In all, this is an interesting gamble by Dubas. He sees a 24-year old winger who has plenty of upside who needs a defined role in order to find consistency. Putting him next to a Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin who could get him the puck could be the thing to unlock that untapped potential.
For the Blue Jackets and Don Waddell, they got a player in Heinen who adds depth to the organization while adding two draft picks including a second rounder in this upcoming draft. Trading him in division is something you don’t always see. But both teams see value in what they’re getting from the other.
The Penguins believe there’s enough there with Chinakhov in which they can work out his consistency issues. Given his combination of speed, skill and ability to fire the puck, he has the potential to make an immediate impact. He’s the kind of player you turn multiple mid-round picks into so that you can help your team now.
