Forward Yegor Chinakhov has had enough of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but not the National Hockey League.
In fact, the 22-year-old Russian would like to take his opportunity elsewhere in the Bettman scene, and his agent has informed general manager Jarmo Kekalainen of this without officially requesting a deal.
• Also read: Blue Jackets: an unprecedented achievement for the Russians
“He doesn’t feel like he’s trusted,” Shumi Babaev, the agent of the hockey player selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 draft, told the Columbus Dispatch. He wants to go. “You don’t understand how unhappy ‘Chinny’ is.”
Since the start of this season, Chinakhov has played primarily on the Blue Jackets’ bottom two lines. He also spent time with the Cleveland Monsters of the American League.
“I thought about it sometimes [à retourner en Russie]but I want to play here [en Amérique] and that’s it, Chinakhov told the media.
In 12 games on Bettman’s stretch in 2023-2024, he scored twice and had two assists for four points. The 22-year-old skater was forced to miss the entire preseason schedule and the first ten games of the season due to a back injury.
Chinakhov signed a one-year, $800,000 contract last April. He will be a restricted free agent next summer.