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Blue Jackets: a first-round pick publicly requests a trade

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 1:57 PM ET

It’s hard to manage a team in Columbus.

Why is that? Because if everything isn’t perfect, chances are good that free agents aren’t knocking on doors very often to come and play in the Ohio city.

And the guys who are already there don’t always want to stay.

This morning, we had further proof of this: a former first-round pick (2020) of the club mandated his agent to go public and ask the Blue Jackets for a deal.

We’re talking about Yegor Chinakhov, a Russian player who isn’t closing the door on a return to Russia.

Yegor Chinakhov:
I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. 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 @BlueJacketsNHL pic.twitter.com/DQ1qU2oHFb

– Shumi Babaev Agency (@BabayevShumi) July 17, 2025

The reason Chinakhov is asking for a trade is because he doesn’t get along with Dean Evason. So he wants to be traded and go play in another city.

The Blue Jackets know their player wants to leave, but they’re not going to give him away. And that’s even if his market value has surely taken a hit, knowing that the matter is now public.

#CBJ aware Yegor Chinakhov wants to be traded – and they’ve had trade talks – but GM Don Waddell said he’s not going to simply accept the best offer to appease Chinakhov. Will only move him if he gets an acceptable offer.
Expectation is he’ll be at training camp.
Story coming.

– Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 17, 2025

Will Don Waddell’s Blue Jackets be able to find common ground with another organization? Will the Russian have to show up for camp in Columbus in the next few weeks?

History doesn’t tell.

Note that he didn’t ask for this when Pascal Vincent was running the club. He did this summer, when the Blue Jackets came close to making the playoffs.

In 30 games this season, the winger collected 15 points, including seven goals. He’ll be a restricted free agent in a year’s time, and will have a $2.1 million impact on the Blue Jackets‘ payroll.

overtime

– Well done.

“j’ai demandé à chatgpt” “j’ai demandé à copilot” well we asked martin st-louis and he said:

“i asked chatgpt” “i asked copilot” well we asked martin st-louis and he said: pic.twitter.com/EHQf9Q2wkv

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 17, 2025

– Dominique Ducharme believes in Joe Veleno.

In Montreal, the conditions will be right for him to blossom https://t.co/Qrdvu8hzWJ

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 17, 2025

– The Oilers had an ugly off-season.

‘Oilers have lost a lot’: Edmonton had 4th worst off-season of any NHL team, analytics expert says

Agree or disagree?https://t.co/YNX0mlhh0l via @edmontonjournal pic.twitter.com/twb5VesIO6

– David Staples (@dstaples) July 17, 2025

– If the TV show is good… it can do it.

If they polished up the TV presentation next time, do you as an NHL fan care that the NHL Draft is decentralized?

– Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) July 17, 2025

– Another one.