Chinakhov unhappy with Blue Jackets, agent says

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is unhappy playing fourth-line minutes and wants to leave the team, his agent, Shumi Babaev, told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch.

"He doesn't feel they trust him, and he wants to leave," Babaev said via text message. "They don't understand how bad 'Chinny' feels."

Babaev added that he spoke with Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about his client's displeasure, but no formal trade request has been made yet.

Chinakhov wants to stay in the NHL and doesn't intend to return to Russia.

"Sometimes (I thought about it)," he said. "But I want to play here and that's it."

Chinakhov is playing on a one-year, $800,000 contract. He'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and is under team control until 2028.

The 22-year-old has averaged 13:27 of ice time this season - 12th among Blue Jackets forwards. He's recorded four points in 13 games. In his career, he's tallied 13 goals and 18 assists in 104 contests.

The Blue Jackets selected Chinakhov 21st overall at the 2020 NHL Draft. The pick was considered a major surprise at the time, as most pundits viewed him as a third-round player. He was old enough to be taken in the 2019 draft but didn't get picked.