Young Blue Jackets Winger Unexpectedly Demands Trade in Home Country Interview
Yegor Chinakhov has been solid for the Blue Jackets thus far in his career, but now the 24-year old has shockingly stated he wants a trade in a recent interview.
Back in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets used a first-round pick on Yegor Chinakhov out of Russia, and since arriving in the NHL with the team, he's shown plenty of promise.
Unfortunately however, he's struggled to consistently perform at the highest level, and in a recent interview back in Russia, he noted some reasons for this, with one response to a question showing that the communication thus far has been less than stellar.
It all started when after the surgery I was prescribed 10 days of light training, recovery and the pool. I started training right away. Everything was fine, nothing hurt. After a break, I was put in the first game, although I was supposed to come out for the third. The coach said not to worry about mistakes, just play. I understood that I hadn't played for a long time, so I agreed.
There weren't many mistakes, we then watched the video. Yes, there were some in the game, but they weren't critical. The coach said that everything was fine, play. Then he suddenly sat me down. He said that an assistant would explain the reason. The assistant showed a video with moments of the game, and I didn't understand what was going on.
There weren't many mistakes, we then watched the video. Yes, there were some in the game, but they weren't critical. The coach said that everything was fine, play. Then he suddenly sat me down. He said that an assistant would explain the reason. The assistant showed a video with moments of the game, and I didn't understand what was going on.
That was one of several times Chinakhov expressed his frustration with the team, and when the interviewer finally asked whether he wants to remain in Columbus, this is what he had to say.
I'll probably even be glad (about getting traded by Columbus).
All together, in total, yes. I want to change my location.
All together, in total, yes. I want to change my location.
Chinakhov had a career high of 29 points in 2023/24 for the Blue Jackets, but throughout his career he's been hampered by injuries and inconsistent playing time, and at 24-years of age, it's easy to see why he wants a change.
This upcoming season will be the final one of a two-year extension he signed with the team carrying a $2.1 million cap hit before he becomes an RFA in the summer of 2026, and with teams out there needing depth and skill, don't be surprised to see him moved after this interview.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 17 | 307 ANSWERS Young Blue Jackets Winger Unexpectedly Demands Trade in Home Country Interview Will we see Chinakhov traded this off-season? | ||
| Yes | 243 | 79.2 % |
| No | 64 | 20.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
