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Yegor Chinakhov

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Carson Meyer, Yegor Chinakhov

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Carson Meyer and Yegor Chinakhov from injured reserve, immediately sending them both down to the minor leagues. The pair have each missed at least 20 games and will need some time in the AHL before any further action with the Blue Jackets.

Chianakhov, 22, last played on December 19, lasting just one shift before going down to a serious ankle injury. The young forward had recorded 13 points in his first 30 games and had recently been moved up the lineup to receive more ice time. Now, with the months-long setback behind him, he’ll try to get back on track and re-establish himself as an NHL talent going into next season.

Meyer, meanwhile, last played on January 10 and was already getting only a handful of shifts per game. The 25-year-old forward failed to record a single point in his 13 games with Columbus this season, but is an excellent piece for the Cleveland Monsters. While he might get another chance with the Blue Jackets, his activation will be a big boost for an AHL club struggling to stay relevant in the Calder Cup chase.

Incredibly, the Blue Jackets still have five players on injured reserve even with the two activations. It has been a catastrophic season for the club that expected to challenge for the playoffs after signing Johnny Gaudreau last summer. It should be noted that activating and sending Chinakhov and Meyer down does open up some extra cap room for Columbus, who are currently operating in the LTIR relief created by Zach Werenski’s season-ending injury. If they wanted to add at the deadline, these moves only help.

Yegor Chinakhov Out Six Weeks

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12/21/22: We now have some more clarity on Chinakhov’s injury and the timeline related to his recovery process. The Blue Jackets have announced that Chinakhov suffered a high ankle sprain in Monday’s game against the Dallas Stars, an injury that will cause him to miss approximately six weeks.

Chinakhov, the 21st overall pick at the 2020 draft, had been having a solid sophomore NHL season. While the Blue Jackets in general have struggled mightily, Chinakhov’s 13 points put him just one point behind his total production from last season. This year, though, he has scored those 13 points in 30 games, while last year it took him 62 games to score 14.

Needless to say, this high ankle sprain is an unwelcome development for the Blue Jackets. But the team can, at the very least, be encouraged by his progress on the ice so far this year as they monitor his injury recovery process.

12/20/22: It’s hard to believe just how many Columbus Blue Jackets players have suffered serious injuries this season but the list just keeps getting longer. Today, Yegor Chinakhov was moved to injured reserve with an ankle injury. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the young forward will get an MRI later today but is expected to be out of the lineup for a while.

Elvis Merzlikins is also dealing with an illness, meaning Jet Greaves has been recalled under emergency conditions and will serve as the backup tonight for Daniil Tarasov.

Chinakhov, 21, joins an injured reserve list that could nearly be a full NHL roster. Jakub Voracek, Boone Jenner, Jake Bean, Joonas Korpisalo, Justin Danforth, Nick Blankenburg, Zach Werenski, and Adam Boqvist are already out, while Cole Sillinger is dealing with a more minor injury.

Already in last place in the Eastern Conference and on a four-game losing streak, the Blue Jackets look like prime contenders for a lottery pick next summer.

Injury Notes: Bryson, Lafferty, Chinakhov

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The Buffalo Sabres updated a few injuries today, with some good and bad news coming along. Kyle Okposo will be back in the lineup tonight, and Rasmus Asplund is only out day-to-day. Unfortunately, Jacob Bryson is on the shelf on a week-to-week basis after leaving Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury.

Some Sabres fans may argue it’s no big loss, given how Bryson has played of late – his usage has been steadily declining – but losing defensive depth is never a positive. The 25-year-old was a solid piece for Buffalo last season and despite recent challenges, is still an important player to keep in the mix. The Sabres will take on the New Jersey Devils tonight, a tough task (especially after the chaos that surrounded New Jersey’s last game).

Bob Hartley, Yegor Chinakhov Win KHL Awards

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It’s been two decades since Bob Hartley lifted the Stanley Cup over his head as the victorious head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, but don’t think that means he stopped winning. The former NHL bench boss was named KHL Coach of the Year today after taking home the Gagarin Cup with Avangard Omsk.

This championship season continues a winning tradition for Hartley. In 1990 and 1991 he took home the title in the CJHL with the Hawkesbury Hawks. In 1993 he was a QMJHL champion with the Laval Titan. In 1997 he won the Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears. Then came the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Avalanche and some lean years, but he was back on top as an NLA Champion with the ZSC Lions. Now champion of the KHL, there’s little Hartley hasn’t accomplished (his Latvian World Championship squad even recently downed the Canadians in an incredible upset).

Hartley’s name has been brought up in talks of NHL vacancies, but it’s not clear if he is ready to return to the NHL just yet. If he does decide to put his name in the ring, it’s hard to find a more impressive overall resume at this point.

That wasn’t the only award handed out by the KHL today though. The league named Eddie Pasquale the top goaltender, Chris Wideman the top defenseman and Yegor Chinakhov the top rookie.

Chinakhov may be a familiar name now thanks to the draft day confusion that followed his selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Seen as an “off-the-board” pick by Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, the 20-year-old proved he was worth the 21st overall slot when he scored 17 points in 32 games for Hartley’s team and added another seven in the Gagarin Cup playoff run. Chinakhov signed his entry-level contract at the beginning of May but didn’t have time to get into any games with the Blue Jackets down the stretch.

Yegor Chinakhov Signs With Columbus Blue Jackets

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Sunday: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the entry-level deal for Chinakhov is now official. However, with little time remaining in the season and plenty of visa paperwork still needed to be done, Chinakhov will not be able to play for the team this season. However, his contract will begin this season, meaning that he will become a restricted free-agent after the 2022-23 season. The Blue Jackets have confirmed the deal.

Friday: After winning the Gagarin Cup earlier this week, Yegor Chinakhov had a decision to make whether to re-sign in the KHL and continue his career in Russia, or join the Columbus Blue Jackets who drafted him last fall. When his KHL contract expired today, the decision was made, and Chinakhov is coming to North America according to his agent Shumi Babaev. The Blue Jackets have not released any details, but the 20-year-old forward will be limited to a three-year entry-level contract.

As Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweets, it seems unlikely Chinakhov will be able to play before the end of this season because of the time it takes to secure a visa, but this is still a big step for the Blue Jackets as they look to turn the page on a disastrous campaign. Selected 21st overall in October, a shocking decision according to many analysts, Chinakhov was an overage draft prospect set to make his KHL debut. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has never been shy about picking the player he believes in regardless of consensus draft ranking, and Chinakhov looks like another winner.

In 32 games for Avangard Omsk during the regular season, Chinakhov recorded 10 goals and 17 points. Add in another five goals and seven points in the postseason and you have quite the strong campaign for a player who only turned 20 in February and was playing at the KHL level for the first time. Near the end of the playoffs, he was logging substantial minutes on the championship squad, even eclipsing veteran names like Ilya Kovalchuk and Sergey Tolchinsky at times (though an illness kept him out of the clinching game).

Columbus has very few players actually signed for the 2021-22 campaign, meaning there could be plenty of opportunity in the organization should Chinakhov prove to be NHL ready. After such a disappointing season for Kekalainen’s team, change seems inevitable.

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