Blue Jackets Forward Demands Trade Amidst Years of Friction

Contract Dispute and Injury Treatment Divergence Fuel Departure Request

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov has formally requested a trade, a move that follows a prolonged period of discord with the organization, according to reports.

Lingering Discontent Surfaces

Tensions between Chinakhov and the Blue Jackets have been simmering for years. Early in the 2023-24 season, advisor Danil Babaev indicated that Chinakhov felt a lack of trust and desired to leave Columbus.

Last season, a disagreement over the best course of treatment for a back injury exacerbated the situation. Chinakhov ultimately underwent a procedure in Russia that differed from North American protocols, further straining the relationship.

Yegor Chinakhov and his agent Danil Babaev spoke to Russian media about his trade request.

Chinakhov: “I am ready for a new challenge. I am 100% healthy.”
Babaev: “We want to be in a situation where Yegor is a key player, not a healthy scratch.”

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Despite averaging a career-high 15:43 of ice time per game last season, Chinakhov found himself a frequent healthy scratch, missing 12 of the team’s final 13 contests.

Contractual Obligations and Future Outlook

Chinakhov, who is 100 percent healthy this offseason, has expressed his expectation to honor his contract, which carries an average annual value of $2.1 million. The 24-year-old former first-round pick has recorded 34 goals and 71 points in 175 career NHL games.

The Blue Jackets anticipate Chinakhov will attend training camp if a trade is not secured beforehand. There is notable irony, as Chinakhov seeks top-six minutes, a need the Blue Jackets also have, yet the two parties have failed to find common ground.

League Transactions

Defenseman Joe Morrow Finds New Club in Poland

Former first-round draft pick Joe Morrow has signed a one-year agreement with Unia Oswiecim in Poland’s Polska Hokej Liga. The 32-year-old defenseman, selected 23rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011, has played for the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, and Montreal Canadiens in 162 NHL games.

Morrow has played professionally in Europe since the 2019-20 season, including stints in the KHL and the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League. In the 2023-24 EIHL season, he tallied 23 points in 51 games for the Guildford Flames.

Matt Cooke Takes Junior Coaching Role

Veteran forward Matt Cooke, with over 1,000 career NHL games played, has been appointed head coach and general manager of the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League. The junior “A” team competes in Canada’s second-highest tier of junior hockey.

Cooke, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, has coached at various levels since retiring in 2015, including a head coaching position with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers. He amassed 398 points and 1,135 penalty minutes during his 14-year NHL career.