Item 3: Chinakhov not waiting
Kirill Marchenko, drafted by the Blue Jackets in 2018, is expected to make his highly anticipated NHL arrival in 2022-23. Dimitry Voronkov, drafted the following year, is expected to come over from the KHL in 2023-24.
The timeline Marchenko and Voronkov are following — call it a five-year plan — makes sense. They get to stay in Mother Russia, continue to play and develop in one of the top leagues outside the NHL, and make more money in the KHL than they would if they spent time in the AHL.
That brings us to forward Yegor Chinakhov, who the Blue Jackets drafted in the first round (No. 21) of last year’s draft.
Chinakhov, 20, won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup with Avangard Omsk in late April. Before the champagne went stale he had an offer on the table to sign a new deal with the Avangard, one that likely would have put him on a similar path as Marchenko and Voronkov by securing the next few seasons in the KHL.
But Chinakhov doesn’t want to wait to take his shot at the NHL.
“I had options to leave for Canada at the age of 17, but I chose the option of development in Russia, and I think that I did everything right,” Chinakhov said in an email exchange with The Athletic. “Now I am 20 years old, and it’s time to try myself at a new level.”
Chinakhov signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Blue Jackets last week, knowing there’s a possibility he could spend time — a few months? a season? two seasons? — with Columbus’ AHL affiliate in Cleveland.
The contract would pay Chinakhov $925,000 per season, plus potential bonuses, if he sticks with the Blue Jackets. He’d make a flat rate of $80,000 in the AHL. The first year of the contract is being burned this season, meaning Chinakhov will be a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season.
“I am ready for this (challenge),” Chinakhov said. “I do not consider other options (other than the NHL) for myself. I will go to my goal.”
Bob Hartley, who won a Stanley Cup as coach of the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, was Chinakhov’s coach this season. Chinakhov had 10-7-17 in 32 regular season games and 5-2-7 in 21 postseason games.
Hartley was asked for a scouting report:
“Yegor is a great young man,” Hartley said. “OK skater. Good worker. NHL wrist shot. Made big progress in his understanding of the game. Could be more aggressive. Might need one or two years in the minors.”
The Blue Jackets would rather have him learning how to play the North American style up the road in Cleveland than on the other side of the world.
Chinakhov is hoping to arrive in Columbus later this month to scout the city, meet members of the organization and take a tour of Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets can set him up with an offseason conditioning program and integrate him into the organization.
He’ll likely stay for a couple of weeks before returning home for the summer, agent Shumi Babaev said.
