A surprising trade request has emerged from Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov, creating potential opportunities for teams like the Edmonton Oilers who might be looking to add scoring depth.
The 22-year-old Russian winger hasn’t been shy about his desire for a fresh start. “I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season,” Chinakhov explained. “Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location.”
This could be interesting for the Oilers, who lost several key depth pieces over the summer.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell isn’t rushing to make a deal, though. “He has value,” Waddell told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. “But I’m not just going to trade him because you said to trade him.”
The situation got even more attention when Chinakhov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, took to social media to make the trade request public.
Chinakhov’s got real potential. When he’s healthy and playing his game, he could develop into exactly the kind of depth scorer many teams are looking for. He’s shown flashes of high-end skill that make scouts take notice.
The agent later added some clarity to the situation: “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.”
Here’s what makes this really interesting for Edmonton: Columbus isn’t looking for draft picks or prospects. They want an NHL-ready player in return.
That could work perfectly for the Oilers, who might be able to move some salary to the Blue Jackets – a team with plenty of cap space to work with.
Waddell made it clear that Chinakhov’s still welcome in Columbus if a trade doesn’t happen: “If he shows up with the right attitude, there’s no issue.”
