Evening Notes: Chinakhov, Douglas, Canucks

The Columbus Blue Jackets won’t begin their season until Thursday, but Yegor Chinakhov is already officially out of the lineup, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic confirmed from Head Coach Dean Evason.

It has been a tumultuous last few months for the once-heralded Columbus prospect. After requesting a trade back in July, the Russian apparently changed his mind in September, saying he was open to staying with the Jackets, having seemingly worked through his differences with Evason. 

Then, recently, Chinakhov voiced his displeasure with his role in camp, and finally, he fired his agent last Sunday. With all of those affairs out of the way, the latest development is that the 24-year-old will not appear on Thursday in the team’s opener vs. Nashville. Portzline noted that Evason apparently met with his player to make sure they were in agreement on the role, but given all the back and forth, it is not a good sign for Chinakhov’s future in Columbus. 

Elsewhere across the league:

• Benjamin Pierce, Tampa Bay’s beat writer, shared the unlikely story of Curtis Douglas as he finds himself, somewhat surprisingly, on the Bolts’ roster to start 2025-26. Originally drafted by Dallas 106th overall in 2018, Douglas has spent the past 5 seasons grinding away in the AHL, not exactly filling the nets, but standing out at 6’9”, 242 lbs. As the game has evolved into the 2020s, gone are the days of pure enforcers running around, however, many teams feature such hulk-sized forwards in their bottom six to drive to the net and mix it up when needed. Tampa figures to have their own version in Douglas, who was claimed on waivers two days ago. The 25-year-old Ontario native will hope to make his long-awaited NHL debut tomorrow against Ottawa. 
• As the Vancouver Canucks open their season tomorrow against Calgary, Ben Kuzma of The Province wrote today of the team’s optimism as a playoff team in 2025-26. The Canucks are one of several promising teams who underachieved last season, and are now looking to turn the page. Given the issues behind the scenes seemingly behind with the departure of star J.T. Miller, and a fresh voice with Adam Foote moving up to Head Coach, the table is set for the Canucks to reach their potential. As outlined by Kuzma, they returned a largely similar roster, bringing in standout Evander Kane to boot, as well as youngster Jonathan Lekkerimaki facing pressure to make a larger impact. The Canucks’ disappointment last year was rewarded with the freshly-drafted Braeden Cootes, who has made a strong impression to make the team. Somewhat surprisingly given their roster, Vancouver struggled offensively last season, but Foote will look to revitalize the group as they set their sights on a return to the playoffs next spring.