Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov would like to be traded, his agent Shumi Babaev announced on his behalf Thursday.
Chinakhov said "he had some misunderstandings" with head coach Dean Evason. The 6-foot-1, 201-pound winger added that he would like to continue his career in the NHL rather than returning to Russia.
The request didn't come as news to Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell.
"I'm surprised (Babaev) went public," Waddell told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "But I'm not surprised (about the trade request) because we've talked about it. He got back (from the back injury last season) and didn't play well. ...
"I told (Babaev), he has value. I will talk to teams. I have talked to teams. But I'm not just going to trade him because you said to trade him."
Chinakhov, 24, notched 14 points in 21 appearances before missing 39 games with a back injury. He managed just one assist in nine contests after returning and was a healthy scratch at times.
"When he came back, he was not the Chinakhov we were hoping he was, and he got healthy scratched at the end (of the season)," Waddell said. "That's what happens with guys. He couldn't handle that."
In November 2023, Chinakhov stated through his agent that he was unhappy playing fourth-line minutes and wanted to leave the team, though he didn't formally request a trade at that time.
Chinakhov set career highs with 16 goals and 13 assists in 53 appearances in 2023-24 under head coach Pascal Vincent, who was fired after one season.
The Blue Jackets drafted Chinakhov 21st overall in 2020. The pick came as a major surprise at the time, as he was an overager and projected to be a mid-round selection. The pick was made by then-GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who was fired in February 2024.
Chinakhov is set to enter the second season of a two-year contract carrying a $2.1-million cap hit. He'll be a restricted free agent at season's end and is under team control until 2028.
Waddell said Chinakhov will "100%" be at training camp if a trade doesn't come together.
"I've been through this before," Waddell said. "If he comes back and says, 'My agent tried to find me a different place, but I'm here and I'm going to play as hard as I can' … I've seen it a number of times, and usually it's not an issue if the player shows up with the right attitude."
