The prevailing thought was that it would be a quiet summer within the walls inside Nationwide Arena. But on Thursday, some news broke that awakened the hockey world to a small degree.
According to Shumi Babaev, the agent for Blue Jackets’ forward Yegor Chinakhov, the player has made it known he would be open to a trade.
We are going to try to look at this situation from a slightly different lens. We are going to focus on a question that seems to be floating around as a result of this trade request becoming public. Ultimately, is this just a one-off or a sign of something deeper?
Setting the Scene
On Thursday morning, Babaev posted his client’s trade request on X.
Yegor Chinakhov:
I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location.
Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here @BlueJacketsNHL pic.twitter.com/DQ1qU2oHFb— Shumi Babaev Agency (@BabayevShumi) July 17, 2025
Within the statement, Babaev made clear that Chinakhov would not return to Russia as long as he could play in the NHL. Soon after this initial post, the agent released some more detail. Here is what was said.
“In this situation, the player’s opinion is the most important to me. However, we are fully aware that there is an active contract in place, and if Yegor’s request for a trade does not materialize, he will continue to give 120 percent in fulfilling his responsibilities.”
“I always stand by the player—especially in this case—and I understand that Yegor’s desire to be traded did not come out of nowhere.”
“I am in close and productive communication with the Columbus management. I am grateful to the “CBJ” leadership for their cooperation and understanding, but I fully support my player and will continue to act in his best interest.”
The phrase “I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season” was cited as a key reason for this request. Chinakhov was limited to 30 games in 2024-25 and was not seen during the Blue Jackets’ attempted run to the playoffs at the end of the season.
Chinakhov found himself in a tough spot. He was recovering from a back injury in which there were setbacks. After missing all of December, January and February due to this injury, he was able to return in the game after the Stadium Series.
It was clear Chinakhov was getting back to speed. He appeared in eight games starting on March 4 while recording just one assist. Coach Dean Evason elected to take him out of the lineup looking for a spark.
Chinakhov appeared in just one game after March 21, the second of a back-to-back situation against Ottawa on April 6. He was immediately benched after that game and wasn’t seen on the ice again the rest of the season.
From this perspective, it is not surprising to see frustration boil over. Chinakhov felt he deserved to play but fell behind the depth chart.
Evason is consistent in this regard. If a player doesn’t perform well or suffers an injury and then has to work his way back, there’s a chance that player is waiting their turn. Ask the likes of Jordan Harris and Damon Severson about that. Once trust is lost or broken, it will take time to earn it back.
Evason elected to play what he thought was his best lineup down the stretch. It didn’t include Chinakhov. This kind of thing happens all the time in the NHL.
Sign of Bigger Problem?
One of the questions that seems to be floating around is if Chinakhov’s trade request is a sign of a deeper-rooted problem? In other words, are we seeing a trend of players asking out or are there other current players potentially thinking they want out too?
While there has been a pattern of players asking out (Pierre-Luc Dubois and Patrik Laine come to mind), this doesn’t appear to be a major situation pointing to a deeper problem. This is a player in Chinakhov expressing frustration over misunderstanding and lack of playing time.
Let’s remember too that the Blue Jackets have new leadership in the front office and behind the bench. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see situations arise like this when new people are in charge. They are trying to get to know their team. Sometimes, they see a player’s situation different than the leadership before them.
At the time Dubois and Laine expressed their intentions, there was a bigger problem. There was a narrative about the team and players wanting to leave.
Now however? As a collective, this group is as tight as ever. Chinakhov’s frustrations are a result of his individual circumstances over his time in the NHL.
In parts of four seasons in the NHL, Chinakhov has had his share of injuries. He hasn’t played more than 62 games in a season. That was in his rookie season of 2021-22. His season game totals have been 62, 30, 53 and 30.
Among the known injuries Chinakhov has suffered include an ankle injury, a lower-body injury, a back injury and various upper-body injuries dating back to 2022. Add in that he’s had three different head coaches in his four seasons (Brad Larsen, Pascal Vincent and Evason) and you see the picture.
Chinakhov’s road in the NHL has been a bumpy one. But when he’s been available, he’s been more than a serviceable player. That’s why there will be interest in him. That’s also why the Blue Jackets need to be patient on how to handle his situation. But to say this is a sign of a bigger team-wide problem doesn’t fit this description.
The Road Ahead
The best-case scenario for everyone involved is simple. Chinakhov needs to come to camp ready to go. He needs to show the team he’s ready for action. He also has to earn his role and ice time. If a trade is going to come through, he puts himself in the best position by proving it on the ice.
For the Blue Jackets, as we said above, they need to be patient. Finding the right value in a potential trade could be tricky given the injury history involved.
The Blue Jackets need to put Chinakhov in the best position to succeed. There is a chance he will come to camp without a trade. He does have one season left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. He has to show everyone he’s healthy and ready to perform.
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A trade could happen before the season if the Blue Jackets get the right value in return. That would be in the form of now help and not futures.
Otherwise, expect Chinakhov to still wear the Blue Jackets’ colors come October. He is actively preparing for the new season and is expected to report to camp should a trade not materialize.
Chinakhov still has a lot of promise. But this far into his career, he has a lot to prove too. Given it’s a contract year, there should be no shortage of motivation to show he has a lot more to give.
2025-26 Schedule Highlights
The 2025-26 NHL schedule was finally released leaguewide. The Blue Jackets will open with a pair of road games against the Western Conference. They are the opposition for both the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild’s home openers on Oct 9 and Oct 11. The Blue Jackets will host the New Jersey Devils at Nationwide Arena on Columbus Day Monday Oct 13.
Here are a couple of highlights from the schedule.
- Their longest homestand is five games from Jan 20-Jan 28.
- Their longest road trip is five games from Nov 2-Nov 11.
- They have 15 back-to-back games which is not the most in the NHL. The Olympics are a big reason why there are so many condensed games.
- They play the Rangers and Flyers three times each while they play the rest of the Metro four times each.
- They have two separate trips to California with San Jose on a different trip than Los Angeles and Anaheim.
- Their 21st home game of the season is on Jan 13 against the Calgary Flames. My goodness.
- Their last regular-season game of the season is against the Washington Capitals in what could be Alex Ovechkin’s last regular-season game if he decides this is his final year.
