The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded for forward Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In exchange, the Penguins sent forward Danton Heinen, a 2026 second-round draft pick originally belonging to St. Louis, and a 2027 third-round draft pick originally belonging to Washington. The transaction was announced by Kyle Dubas, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.
Chinakhov is under contract through the 2025-26 season with an average annual value of $2.1 million. Over his five-year professional career with Columbus, Chinakhov has played in 204 NHL games, recording 37 goals and 40 assists for a total of 77 points. This season, he has registered six points in 29 games.
In addition to his NHL experience, Chinakhov has appeared in 11 AHL regular-season games with the Cleveland Monsters, tallying seven goals and six assists for 13 points.
Before joining North American hockey, Chinakhov played one season in Russia’s KHL with Avangard Omsk. He recorded 17 points in 32 games and was named rookie of the year (Alexei Cherepanov Award) at age 19. Internationally, he represented Russia at the 2021 World Junior Championship and won a silver medal at the 2019 World Under-18 Championship.
Chinakhov was selected by Columbus as the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Following this trade, Pittsburgh holds a total of 34 draft picks over the next four NHL drafts. Of these selections, 19 are within the first three rounds—the most among all teams during this period.
The Penguins are based in Pittsburgh and compete as a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League official website. The organization has achieved several Stanley Cup titles and maintains strong community ties through various initiatives official website. The team’s operations are managed by an executive group responsible for player development and strategy official website.
