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Yegor Chinakhov

Metropolitan Notes: Mantha, Chinakhov, Martone

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While the Penguins are known to be selling, they did make an intriguing addition in free agency earlier this month as they signed winger Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $2.5MM contract with another $2MM in bonuses tied to games played.  Speaking with reporters yesterday including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 30-year-old indicated that he has fully recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 campaign after just 13 games.  Mantha also noted that Pittsburgh showed interest in him last summer but he ultimately signed a one-year, $3.5MM pact with Calgary.  With 303 points in 507 career NHL games, Mantha, if healthy, could be an intriguing piece for the Penguins next season, both as a player and a potential trade candidate.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • For the second straight summer, the Blue Jackets are dealing with a public trade request. While there wasn’t much of a market for Patrik Laine a year ago, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch opines that this shouldn’t be the case this time around when it comes to winger Yegor Chinakhov, who made his request public last week.  With Chinakhov making a much more affordable $2.1MM (compared to Laine’s $8.7MM) and being on the final year of his contract, he should have a decent market, one that should allow Columbus to land an NHL-proven piece coming the other way.
  • After committing to play for Michigan State yesterday, Flyers prospect Porter Martone will not be attending training camp in the fall, GM Daniel Briere acknowledged to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription link). Martone was the sixth overall selection in the draft last month but decided the best thing for his development would be to go to college, a decision he kept Philadelphia informed about along the way.  Martone could theoretically still make his NHL debut next season as he’d be a potential candidate to sign once his season with the Spartans comes to an end.

League Notes: Chinakhov, Morrow, Cooke

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While Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov only recently formally requested a trade, tensions between him and the organization have been building for some time, reports The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.

As Portzline outlines, discontent between Chinakhov and Columbus has been evident for years, noting that early in the 2023-24 season, Babaev told The Columbus Dispatch that Chinakhov, “doesn’t feel the (Blue Jackets) trust him, and he wants to leave.” Then last season, Chinakhov struggled with a back injury and later told reporters that he and the team disagreed on the best course of treatment. This ultimately led to Chinakhov traveling to Russia during the 4 Nations Face-Off break to have a procedure that wasn’t an approved treatment in North America, Portzline reports. And while Chinakhov averaged a career-high 15:43 of ice time per game last season, he became a frequent healthy scratch at the tail end of the campaign, sitting out 12 of the Jackets’ final 13 games.

This all resulted in Chinakhov and Babaev making official trade demands this week, with Chinakhov speaking to Russian outlet Sport-Express, and Babaev posting on X and speaking with The Athletic. While his back injury (and healthy scratches) led to just 30 games played last season, Chinakhov has stated this offseason that he is 100 percent healthy. In 175 career NHL games, the 24-year-old former first-round pick has recorded 34 goals and 71 points and could offer another franchise a quality depth scoring option.

Portzline adds that the Blue Jackets expect Chinakhov to report to training camp if a trade does not materialize, and Chinakhov has stated he expects to honor his contract, which comes with a $2.1MM AAV. Given Chinakhov’s stated desire for top-six minutes and the Blue Jackets’ need for scoring, Portzline notes the irony in the two sides being unable to find common ground.

In other news around the league:

  • Former first-round selection defenseman Joe Morrow has signed a one-year deal with Unia Oswiecim of the Polska Hokej Liga (PHL) in Poland, per Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live. Morrow, 32, was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins 23rd overall in the 2011 draft. He was then traded in 2013 to the Boston Bruins in a deal that brought veteran forward Brenden Morrow (no relation) back to the Penguins. Morrow would go on to suit up in 162 career NHL games across five seasons for the Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, and Montreal Canadiens. He also appeared in 174 AHL games over his career. Following the 2019-20 season, Morrow headed overseas and has appeared in the KHL and spent the last two years in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EHIL) in the United Kingdom.
  • Former NHL forward Matt Cooke, a veteran of more than 1,000 career games, was hired as head coach and general manager of the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League, Rorabaugh reports. Vernon plays in the junior “A” league, the second-highest tier of Canada’s junior hockey. As Rorabaugh outlines, Cooke has coached at various levels since his retirement in 2015, including stints including a stint as head coach of the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers. Over 14 NHL seasons, Cooke, who was known for playing on the edge, recorded 398 points and 1,135 penalty minutes. He won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, playing a key role on the team’s third line alongside Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy.

Blue Jackets’ Yegor Chinakhov Requests Trade

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Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov has requested a trade out of Columbus, his agent, Shumi Babaev, relayed Thursday in an X post. General manager Don Waddell told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic that he’s aware of the request and has already begun trade talks.

“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season,” Chinakhov said. “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.”

Waddell told Portzline that he’ll only move Chinakhov if he sees fair value in a trade; he won’t dump the young winger for a minimal return just because he wants out. If that offer doesn’t materialize by training camp, Waddell still expects Chinakhov to report to the club but will presumably continue trying to find a new home for him.

It’s not particularly clear what those misunderstandings with head coach Dean Evason were, but his usage down the stretch likely has a lot to do with it. Chinakhov averaged a career-high 15:43 of ice time per game last season but became a frequent healthy scratch at the tail end of the campaign, sitting out 12 of the Jackets’ final 13 games.

That, combined with missing three months due to back problems, limited the 24-year-old to 30 appearances. He scored seven goals and eight assists for 15 points, seeing his points per game output drop from 0.55 in 2023-24 to 0.50 last year.

Injuries have been a consistent factor for Chinakhov since making the jump to North America, stunting the 2020 surprise first-round selection’s development. He’s still put up respectable averages of 16 goals and 33 points per 82 games in his four NHL seasons, including a 44-point pace over the last two years.

He’s certainly an everyday NHL player. Still, with his production pace topping off at that level at this point in his development, combined with his injury history, things don’t bode well for the Jackets to recoup the first-round value they invested in Chinakhov five years ago in a trade.

They should still be able to command a decent return, whether that’s a package of mid-value picks and prospects or a player-for-player swap to take a change of scenery candidate back the other way. If the latter ends up being the route Waddell pursues, the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks could be speculative partners with young forwards Nicholas Robertson and Lukas Reichel available.

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

Blue Jackets Activate Yegor Chinakhov

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10:21 a.m.: The corresponding move for Chinakhov’s activation is an IR placement for Cole Sillinger, the team announced. General manager Don Waddell said late last week that the center is week-to-week with a shoulder injury.

9:58 a.m.: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov is back to full health and set to be activated off of long-term injured reserve, head coach Dean Evason confirmed to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Chinakhov has missed Columbus’ last 39 games with a back injury. It is believed to be the same injury that held Chinakhov out of 17 games at the end of last season and caused him discomfort during the team’s training camp. Chinakhov has since seen at least six different doctors about the injury, including one in Russia, and underwent a minor arthroscopic procedure per Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Now with 22 games left on the schedule, Chinakhov will get his shot to shed the nagging injury.

Chinakhov, 24, had a hot start to the season before he had to step aside. He scored 14 points, split evenly, through the first 21 games of the year and earned his way into hardy top-six minutes. That put him on pace for 55 points across a full 82 games, which would have shattered the career-high 29 points he scored in 53 games last year. He broke into the NHL very young and showed signs of serious growing pains before he found his footing in Columbus’ lineup. But Chinakhov is there now, posting improved scoring in each of the last three seasons despite dealing with this nagging back injury in the latter two. Columbus has posted an outstanding 4-0 record and 21-to-10 goal differential since returning from the 4-Nations Face-Off break. That standing should let them ease Chinakhov back into his roster spot while they continue their pursuit of a playoff bid.

The Blue Jackets will need to make a roster move to open space for Chinakhov’s return. That move will likely be sending forward Mikael Pyyhtia back to the minor leagues, with Svoboda confirming he’ll be out of the lineup on Tuesday night. Columbus used an emergency recall on Pyyhtia on February 28th, after assigning him to the minors earlier in the month. He played in 12 minutes of Columbus’ Saturday night win over Detroit, but didn’t manage any scoring. Pyyhtia has recorded seven points in 47 NHL games and six points in 10 AHL games on the season.

Blue Jackets Notes: Fabbro, Johnson, Chinakhov, Greaves

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The Columbus Blue Jackets received a series of injury and roster updates on Wednesday, headlined by an update on defenseman Dante Fabbro’s injury. Fabbro left Columbus’ Tuesday loss to Tampa Bay in the second period, after receiving a scary knee-to-knee hit from Lightning rookie Conor Geekie. But Fabbro has avoided the worst possible outcome, nursing more of a charley horse than a bad knee injury per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Fabbro was not available for Columbus’ optional Wednesday practice.

Fabbro will be working to maintain his hot streak in Columbus if he does play. He has seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a +11 in 18 games since the Blue Jackets claimed him off waivers in November. It’s been a 180-degree turnaround from his start to the season with Nashville, which saw Fabbro record no scoring, no penalties, and a -3 through six games. The 2016 17th-overall pick has been a fixture of the Predators’ lineup since turning pro at the end of the 2018-19 season, establishing a confident role on the team’s second pair. But he never seemed to favor either zone, with low-scoring totals complemented by negative plus-minuses and poor advanced stats. He ultimately totaled just 72 points in 315 games, and seven seasons, with the Predators. 24 points in 66 games of the 2021-22 campaign stand as his career-high in scoring. But Fabbro could surpass that mark this year, with his hot start in Columbus putting him on pace for 26 points – even despite no scoring in Nashville. That pace would require he play in all 50 games remaining on the Blue Jackets’ schedule, though – a mission that will start by returning from this lower-body injury.

Other notes out of Ohio:

  • Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson will join Fabbro as questionable for Wednesday night’s game per Portzline. Johnson took a stick to the eye in Sunday’s match against Carolina and is scheduled to see an eye doctor in Columbus on Wednesday. He has rotated out of Columbus third pairing, averaging 13:32 in ice time and recording just one assist in 18 games this season. With both Fabbro and Johnson both questionable, Portzline adds that Columbus is likely to recall a defenseman from the minors ahead of Thursday’s game. That could be the opportunity for top prospects Denton Mateychuk or Stanislav Svozil to earn their jump to the top flight. Mateychuk has 23 points in 25 AHL games this season, while Svozil has 13 in 22 games.
  • Forward Yegor Chinakhov was on the ice for Wednesday’s optional skate shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. It’s Chinakhov’s first time skating since suffering an upper-body injury on November 27th. He has since missed Columbus’ last 11 games and was placed on injured reserve on December 11th. Chinakhov is having a strong year outside of the injuries, with 14 points – split evenly – through 21 games this season. He ranks in the top five of scoring among Blue Jackets forwards, despite averaging the least amount of ice time of anyone above him. Chinakhov is also hitting more and blocking more shots, with his 2024-25 numbers (32 hits, 10 blocks) already narrowing in on his totals from 53 games of 2023-24 (43 hits, 28 blocks). He’ll quickly slot back into Columbus’ middle-six when he returns to full health – a path that started with a return to the ice today.
  • Finally, Columbus has loaned goaltender Jet Greaves back to the AHL. Greaves was recalled on December 11th and stepped into three games, but posted a measly 0-1-2 record and .895 save percentage. He’ll now return to the minors, where he’s already managed an 8-4-2 record and .902 save percentage in 15 appearances. Greaves’ assignment will leave Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov as the sole pair in Columbus’ goaltending room.

Blue Jackets Place Yegor Chinakhov On IR, Recall Jet Greaves

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The Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that they’ve placed winger Yegor Chinakhov on injured reserve and used his roster spot to recall goaltender Jet Greaves from AHL Cleveland.

Chinakhov, 23, has already been out with an upper-body injury since Nov. 27. Since he’s missed well over seven days, he can come off IR at any time.

Columbus head coach Dean Evason told reporters Tuesday that Chinakhov is “progressing” in his recovery but isn’t yet close to a return. It’s been an unwelcome absence for the Jackets and the 2020 first-round pick, who had seven goals and seven assists for 14 points through his first 21 games.

Chinakhov has been part of one of hockey’s most unexpectedly dominant lines so far this season. In over 120 minutes of skating as Columbus’ first-line left wing alongside Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko, the trio has controlled 64.9% of expected goals – third-best out of 46 units with at least 120 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

The Russian winger is now in his fourth NHL season, averaging a career-high 17:01 per game in 2024-25. Evason has shuffled his lines frequently this season, but even more so in Chinakhov’s absence. In recent games, veteran pickup James van Riemsdyk has skated in a top-line role.

Using his roster spot to recall a goalie suggests an injury or illness looming that could sideline one of Elvis Merzļikins or Daniil Tarasov against the Capitals tomorrow. However, both were present alongside Greaves at today’s practice, the team’s Jeff Svoboda reports, so the motivation behind the latter’s recall remains unclear.

Greaves has already been recalled twice this season and has dressed for three games but hasn’t played in any of them. The 23-year-old’s only action in 2024-25 has come with Cleveland, where he has a career-worst 3.21 GAA, .902 SV%, one shutout, and an 8-4-2 record in 15 appearances.

An undrafted free agent signing by Cleveland out of the OHL’s Barrie Colts in 2021, Greaves has been solid in third-string action the past two seasons with a 3.44 GAA and .912 SV% in 10 NHL appearances. He has a 3-7-0 record and has a .784 SV% on high-danger scoring chances.

Greaves still has one season remaining before he becomes waivers-eligible, so there’s no risk of losing him on the wire at any point this season as they shuffle him between leagues. The 6’0″ netminder inked a two-year, partial two-way deal worth a total of $1.63MM over the summer after spending nearly two weeks as a restricted free agent.

East Notes: Chinakhov, Duclair, Pelech, Kozak

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Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov has missed the team’s last six games with an upper-body injury, and doesn’t seem close to a return. Head coach Dean Evason told NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda that Chinakhov is “progressing, for sure” but that he hasn’t yet returned to skating, making a return to the lineup hard to predict.

Chinakhov has 14 points, split evenly, through 21 games this season. He’s playing the best hockey of his career – scoring at a career-high pace, recording a positive +/- for the first time, and working his way into 17 minutes of average ice time each game. They’re all very positive signs of life for the 23-year-old winger, who’s bettering the 16 goals and 29 points in 53 games last season: an 82-game pace of 45 points. Improving on those numbers is helping Chinakhov justify his 21st-overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft – a shocking pick at the time, despite Chinakhov was one of Russia’s top junior scorers entering the draft. He made the jump to the NHL less than two years later and has since recorded 70 points and 34 penalty minutes in 166 career games. He’ll look to continue producing when he’s finally able to return to the lineup, though Evason suggests he’ll have to hit multiple checkpoints before that occurs.

Other notes from out East:

  • Both Anthony Duclair (lower-body) and Adam Pelech (upper-body) returned to the New York Islanders practices today, each wearing a no-contact jersey, shares Newsday’s Andrew Gross. It’s a timely step for both players, who were designated to miss one-to-two months in late October and early November respectively. Duclair landed on long-term injured reserve on October 26th, while Pelech was placed on standard IR on November 2nd. Duclair scored two goals and three points in five games before falling to injury, looking like a stout addition to New York’s top-six. Meanwhile, Pelech’s spot on the top pair likely remains unrivaled. He’s averaged north of 20 minutes of ice time through 11 games this season, recording four assists along the way. The duo are pacing to return to the lineup before the holiday break, though it’s yet to be seen if that timeline will actually come to fruition.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have sent young winger Tyson Kozak back to the minor leagues. It’s unclear if this is a means of accruing daily cap space before Wednesday’s matchup against the Rangers, or if Kozak’s assignment is expected to stick. Kozak received the first three NHL games of his career on this recall. He scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game – but it got called back after a coach’s challenge from Jets head coach Scott Arniel. Not to be denied, Kozak managed to score again in his second game – this time cementing his first goal at the top flight. He served in a fourth-line role throughout his recall, and could be at risk of formally losing an NHL spot with the return of Jordan Greenway and Sam Lafferty from injury.

Injury Updates: Stanley, Arvidsson, Kochetkov, Kylington, Chinakhov

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The Jets welcomed back Logan Stanley to their lineup tonight with the team announcing (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been activated off injured reserve.  The 26-year-old has been banged up this season, missing time with a knee issue and most recently a mid-body injury that kept him out for the last eight games.  Between those, Stanley has three points, 17 blocks, and 12 hits in 11 games while averaging 15:13 per night, the second-highest ATOI of his career.  With his activation, Winnipeg now has a full 23-player roster.

Other injury updates from around the NHL:

  • Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters including Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link) that winger Viktor Arvidsson won’t suit up on their current road trip, meaning he’ll miss the next three games. The 31-year-old has missed the last six games due to an undisclosed injury and is currently on injured reserve.  Arvidsson is in his first season with Edmonton after signing a two-year, $8MM contract over the summer.  However, he’s off to a quiet start with just two goals and three assists in 16 games.
  • Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is listed as doubtful for tomorrow’s game against Florida, team reporter Walt Ruff reports (Twitter link). Kochetkov remains in concussion protocol but head coach Rod Brind’Amour wants to get him in a practice before getting him back into a game.  Kochetkov has a 2.42 GAA and a .909 SV% in 13 games so far this season.  With him and Frederik Andersen out, Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets are Carolina’s tandem between the pipes for the time being.
  • The injuries continue to pile up for the Avalanche. Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette relays (Twitter link) that defenseman Oliver Kylington is dealing with an injury and isn’t with the team in Dallas.  The 27-year-old has had a quiet start to the season for Colorado, missing time due to illness and being healthy scratched at times.  Overall, Kylington has suited up in eight games so far, picking up a goal and an assist but his playing time is just 12:10 per night, more than five minutes below his ATOI with Calgary last season.
  • Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov was scratched in today’s victory over Calgary due to an upper-body injury, notes team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). After a breakout performance last season that saw him record 16 goals and 13 assists in 53 games, the 23-year-old is on pace to beat those numbers as he has seven goals and seven helpers in 21 appearances so far, good for fourth on Columbus in scoring.  Cole Sillinger returned from his upper-body injury to take Chinakhov’s spot in the lineup.

Snapshots: Hronek, Friedman, Pickering, Sillinger, Chinakhov

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek is expected to miss a “while” with an upper-body injury per Irfaan Gaffar of Daily Faceoff. Hronek seemed to suffer a shoulder injury in Vancouver’s Wednesday loss to the Penguins, after getting hit awkwardly into the boards by Pittsburgh defenseman Jack St. Ivany.

Any extended absence from Hronek would be hard for Vancouver to bear. He’s continued to serve a top-line role this season, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time a game opposite of Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes. Hronek has managed one goal and nine points in 21 games in the role – on pace for 35 points, a dip from the 48 points he scored last season.

Hronek’s stat line may not jump off the page, but he’s seemed to be the key to unlocking a Norris Trophy-level Quinn Hughes. The two have outscored opponents 18-to-10 at even-strength this season, compared to Hughes’ tying opponent scoring five-to-five without Hronek. The two have recorded a 55.07 expected-goals-for percentage since being paired together last year.

The Canucks are expected to recall veteran defenseman Mark Friedman in response to Hronek’s injury, per Noah Strang of Daily Hive. Friedman has four points through eight AHL games this year but has yet to make his season debut with Vancouver. He recorded one assist in 23 games with the Canucks last year, marking his sixth season serving the role of seventh or eighth defenseman for an NHL club. Friedman has tallied 13 points in 88 career games in the minutes he’s earned. Friedman will likely step right into the lineup hole, though he’ll face pressure from Vincent Desharnais on the bench – and Jett Woo and Cole McWard from the minors. With a potential long-term vacancy opening up, all four defenders could find a way into the lineup.

Other Thanksgiving notes:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering missed another practice due to illness shares Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Head coach Mike Sullivan added that the rookie is still being evaluated, and remains questionable for the team’s road game in Boston on Friday. Pickering sat out of Wednesday’s game against Vancouver. He has one point – an assist – through the first four career games. Pickering will return to competition with Ryan Shea when he’s back to full health.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will have the services of Cole Sillinger on Friday, but Yegor Chinakhov is “banged up” and questionable, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Both players missed Columbus’ Thursday practice. The two have returned as core pieces of Columbus’ middle-six. They sit next to each other on the team’s scoring ranks, with Chinakhov posting 14 points in 21 games and Sillinger posting 12 in 20 games.

Metro Notes: Smith, Jiříček, Chinakhov

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According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled defenseman Ty Smith from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. No corresponding roster move was needed as the Hurricanes had three spots open on the 23-man roster before the move.

Smith has already appeared in one game for the Wolves in his first season with the organization tallying one assist. He’s coming off a solid campaign with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a season that saw him score nine goals and 43 points in 63 games.

He’s unlikely to get that much playing time in Carolina with the team just needing another healthy body before a six-game road trip which begins this evening against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith may feature in a game or two if other members of the team need a rest but he should ultimately be headed back to Chicago in a few weeks.

Other Metro notes:

  • According to team reporter Jeff Svoboda, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top defensive prospect, David Jiříček, will make his season debut tomorrow night against the Minnesota Wild. In an interesting storyline to begin the 2024-25 NHL season, the Blue Jackets have healthy scratched the former sixth-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft through the team’s first four games. In desperate need of playing time to keep his development headed in the right direction, it will be imperative for Jiříček to make well on his opportunities.
  • Staying in Columbus, Svoboda also added that Yegor Chinakhov did not practice with the team today but is expected back tomorrow. He had been dealing with a lower-body injury after last night’s game but it ended up just being a maintenance day for one of the team’s top forwards. Chinakhov has started the year on a torrid pace scoring two goals and six points through the organization’s first four contests.

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