The trade request originally submitted this summer by forward Yegor Chinakov has been completed by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins that sees multiple draft picks as the return package.
Full Trade Breakdown and Reaction
The Columbus Blue Jackets have completed a multi-player package transaction on the 29th of December just before takeoff of their game in Ottawa with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As originally requested in the summer due to a deteriorating relationship between coach and player, the management did right by the player and moved him in a hockey trade for what was the best available package.
Yegor Chinakov is moved by general manager and president of hockey operations Don Waddell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a package return that sees forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second round draft selection originally belonging to the St. Louis Blues, and a 2027 third round draft selection originally held by the Washington Capitals as the return by general manager and president Kyle Dubas.
Chinakov was originally selected 21st overall by Kekalainen in the 2020 draft, where many scouts projected him going in the fifth round of that draft.
His North American debut would not occur until the 21-22 season when he had his healthiest and most games played in a year at 62 games and having his first career goal in November 2021 against Thomas Greiss and the Detroit Red Wings.
Offensively, the pending restricted free agent had a 16 goal, 29 point campaign the only year Pascal Vincent held the coaching chair in 2023-2024.
While being passed up and looked over in the system by Dean Evason due to injury and player fit, Chinakov had a nose for the back of the net collecting 77 points in 204 career games with the Blue Jackets.
Yegor Chinakov carries a $2.1M cap hit with saley arbitration rights under the representation of Shumi Babaev. He shares the same agent with prospect Mikhail Ye Ilyin, who has 28 points in 40 KHL games this season.
Chinny can be played up and down the lineup of a team but carries more offensive ability than a two way game. Him with a Crosby, Malkin, or Kindel would be a fun experiment for the Penguins’ offense.
Danton Heinen is currently signed to a 2 year, $4,500,000 contract with a cap hit of $2,250,000 per season originally signed by the Vancouver Canucks. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, making Heinen an Unrestricted Free Agent. The 30 year old has a modified no-trade list of 12 teams. He had a signing bonus of $1.23M and a base of $775K with a total salary this final season of $2M despite a $150K hit more than Chinakov. This season with the Penguins, he had a goal and assist in 13 games. He is set to report to Cleveland, also saving the Jackets $1.1M on the cap.
Heinen was dealt from the Canucks in February 2025 with forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom, defenseman Vincent Desharnais who was flipped at the 2025 trade deadline to San Jose for a 2028 5th round pick, and a 2025 first round draft pick (12th overall), which was then flipped to Philadelphia for two 2025 first round draft picks (22nd and 31st overall) in exchange for Drew O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson.
Jack Nesbitt was the pick at #12 by the Flyers.
Bill Zonnon was selected 22nd by Pittsburgh.
The 31st pick (defender Henry Brzustewicz) that was part of this trade was then flipped to Los Angeles with the 59th overall pick (Vojtech Cihar) for the 24th overall pick that became forward William Horcoff, the son of Sean Horcoff, long time forward of the Edmonton Oilers.
The St. Louis Blues acquired 2025 2nd Round Pick and 2026 5th Round Pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins for 2026 2nd Round Pick and 2025 3rd Round Pick in a trade on August 13, 2024.
The pick was flipped back by Dubas to St Louis for them to offer sheet Phil Broberg from the Oilers after the Blues used the pick to flip Kevin Hayes to the Penguins at half salary retained for future considerations.
The other pick was traded down by the Penguins to obtain two additional prospects in the pipeline.
The 2027 third round pick was originally acquired by Dubas in a trade with a 2025 5th round pick that saw Lars Eller return to Washington.
Before the trade freeze, Columbus flipped a 2027 2nd and 2026 4th for Mason Marchment. Columbus’ own 2026 second round pick is with Montreal after it was used to move Laine out for future considerations.
This will be the first time the Jackets pick in the second round since 2024 after selecting Charlie Elick and trading up to get Evan Gardner.
Columbus now owns three 3rd round picks in 2027, including their own pick, this new pick, and the pick originally belonging to Boston after the Andrew Peeke trade.
Heinen has earned 243 points in 579 career games with Boston, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Vancouver.
Heinen reunites with Will Butcher in Cleveland where they spent time together at the University of Denver. Charlie Coyle, Brendan Gaunce, and Heinen were teammates in Boston in 2019-2020; Coyle and Heinen were also in Boston in 2023-2024. Erik Gudbranson, Isac Lundestrom, and Heinen were teammates in Anaheim in 2020. Zach Aston-Reese and Heinen were teammates briefly in Pittsburgh in 2021-22.
The draft capital and active roster provide depth now and later for the Blues Jackets while restocking picks that were lost before Christmas. Great work by Waddell to move a player that has been publicly seeking a fresh start and waiting for the right deal to work itself out for the franchise.
Reaction — this could be another Waddell robbery of Dubas, but not the Jarvis magnitude it was years ago. What Columbus does with the picks is the big question where Chinakov has the higher ceiling the time of writing. While the Penguins walk away with the younger skater, Columbus has more assets.
Thoughts? More to come…