Yegor Chinakhov to sign with Columbus Blue Jackets

After winning the Gagarin Cup earlier this week, Yegor Chinakhov had a decision to make regarding 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 on Friday, 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 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 such as Ilya Kovalchuk and Sergey Tolchinsky at times (although 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.