Washington Capitals general manager Chris Patrick was honest about his desire to add a “skilled player” to the team’s lineup during his end-of-season media availability in May. After trying to achieve the goal in free agency with Nikolaj Ehlers and missing out, the Capitals are believed to be a team to watch on the trade front this summer.
Another potential fit recently popped up from inside the Metropolitan Division, with Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov requesting a trade. Chinakhov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, revealed the request on X on Monday, and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell later confirmed the news to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season,” Babaev quoted Chinakhov as saying. “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.”
“I’m surprised [Babaev] went public,” Waddell told Portzline. “But I’m not surprised because we’ve talked about it. He got back [from injury] and didn’t play well, and fell out of favor. I told [Babaev], he has value. I will talk to teams. I have talked to teams. But I’m not just going to trade him because you said to trade him.”
Chinakhov’s issue in Columbus appears to stem from his relationship with Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason. After returning from a 39-game absence due to a back injury this past season, Chinakhov saw his average ice time cut to 12:42 per game, more than a four-minute difference from the 17:01 he was averaging before the injury. He was also healthy scratched for 12 of the team’s last 17 games.
The 24-year-old winger had just one assist in the nine games he played after his return from injury. In Chinakhov’s previous 21 games, he had recorded 14 points (7g, 7a) and was on pace for a 55-point season over a full 82-game schedule.
Chinakhov, the 21st overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, has struggled with injuries throughout his first four seasons in the league. His best season came during the 2023-24 campaign, when he posted 29 points (16g, 13a) in 53 games.
The Omsk native is headed into the second year of a two-year, $4.2 million extension he signed with the Blue Jackets last summer. He will be a restricted free agent next year when the deal expires. According to PuckPedia, the Capitals have $4.125 million in cap space, more than enough to fit Chinakhov’s contract.
Chinakhov does have one concrete past connection to the Capitals, working with assistant coach Kenny McCudden for two years in Columbus. He also came through the same youth system as Ivan Miroshnichenko, who entered the Avangard Omsk ranks the same season Chinakhov graduated to the KHL.
Waddell added that he is not in a rush to appease Chinakhov’s demands and expects the forward to attend training camp if the Blue Jackets can’t find fair value for him. Columbus has made it clear this summer that they are seeking immediate roster help, not futures in draft picks or prospects.
