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Yegor Vitalievich Chinakhov (Russian: Егор Витальевич Чинахов; born February 1, 2001) is a Russian professional ice hockey right wing currently playing for the Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was drafted 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Chinakov’s offensive impact his impressive. He moves the puck quickly, supports the play well, and seems very aware of his options. His puck skills are high-end; he makes body fakes and quick cuts to force defenders to move their feet and open space. He consistently read opposing breakouts to intercept pucks. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide Chinakhov does possess a good skill level and can produce offense, having scored 27 goals and 69 points last season in 56 games, which was good for fifth in Russia’s junior league. But there was probably not a player in the draft who benefitted more from playing this season before the draft. He impressed with five goals and seven points in 12 KHL games for Avangard Omsk, including a recent game Kekalainen pointed out in which Chinakhov played 21-plus minutes against CSKA. “He just keeps improving,” Kekalainen said of Chinakhov. “He played 21:30 in his last KHL game and everyone who knows (Avangard Omsk coach) Bob Hartley knows that he’s not handing out ice time for free. You’ve got to earn it. (Hartley) speaks very highly of Chinakhov as well.” Chinakhov’s father, Vitali, is also a former player. In fact, he was drafted 235 overall (a draft slot that no longer exists) in 1991 by the New York Rangers, but never played a game in the NHL. And it’s not as though Chinakhov stumbled out of a pumpkin patch. He was part of the Russian team that won gold in the 2019 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and, given Russia’s penchant for choosing older players for its World Junior team, could very well be an important part of that country’s team in this year’s tournament. Kekalainen said the fact that he’s 19 doesn’t necessarily make him more NHL-ready than other players in the draft and despite the fact his KHL contract ends after this season, don’t appear to have any urgency to rush him along. “He’s a player we see a tremendous upside with,” Kekalainen said. “We think he’s going to be a top-two-line player in the National Hockey League.” What you have to remember is that the draft simply assigns a players’ NHL rights exclusively to one organization. That’s done on the basis of a meritocracy based on what scouts who watch them play think of their potential. Sometimes they’re right and other times they’re wildly wrong. Think of Brayden Point. He was a third-round pick and the fourth player the Tampa Bay Lightning took in the 2014 draft. Artemi Panarin wasn’t even picked. That’s why we have such fun doing drafts five, 10 and 15 years after they happen.
