Fresh Start, Fast Impact for Egor Chinakhov

With 1.5 seconds left on the clock in Pittsburgh’s game against Tampa on Thursday (April 2), Egor Chinakhov scored for the second time that night, hitting the 20-goal mark for the first time in his young career.

Seventeen of those tallies came in just 38 games with the Penguins since being acquired from Columbus at the New Year. Chinakhov has 16 points over his last 15 games, and 30 points in black and gold.

“Just fresh start,” Chinakhov said, when asked what is working well here. “I love to play here. Just try to, every time I go out, enjoy the games, enjoy the practices. Just enjoy everything.”

Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said there were a lot of discussions with Don Waddell, in that same role for Columbus, about the 2020 first-round pick, who dealt with injuries and misunderstandings with former head coach Dean Evason.

“In-division trades aren't always the easiest to do for a number of reasons, especially when it's a young player with potential that maybe isn't getting opportunity,” Dubas said. “We just felt that it was a player that obviously, had a falling out with the previous coaching staff in Columbus. That stuff happens with every team.

“We just thought at his age (25), with his speed, with his offensive ability... but probably more than that, we felt as we dug into it, he also is extremely responsible defensively. We just thought that with our group that we have, that he could play a really key role.”

It’s been remarkable to watch Chinakhov take advantage of his opportunity here in Pittsburgh, helping the Penguins fight to make the playoffs in a year where most people had written them off.

“It's special, these ones, when you race to the playoffs,” Chinakhov said.

From the moment he arrived, Chinakhov’s shot stood out. He said growing up in Russia, whenever he had free time, he would go outside and work on it.

“I mean, the release, it's crazy,” Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse said with a smile. “It's unique. I kind of find myself laughing some days in practice, watching him shoot pucks.”

“I think every one of us wishes we had that shot,” Bryan Rust added. “It's incredible.”

The way it comes off Chinakhov’s blade is so quick, and he doesn’t need much time and space to unleash an absolute howitzer. The accuracy is also impressive, as evidenced by the perfectly placed backhand that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, one of the league's best goaltenders.

While the shot is a headache for goaltenders, the speed that Dubas mentioned is a headache for goaltenders.

Chinakhov is so good at creating separation off the rush. Take his goal against Winnipeg on March 21. Chinakhov got a pass in stride from Evgeni Malkin while flying through the neutral zone, quickly cut to the middle and danced around Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo, and snapped a shot past Connor Hellebuyck, another Vezina Trophy winner.

Chinakhov also used that speed to fly past Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson, win possession of the puck, and feed it over to Malkin for a goal on March 17.

“The way he skates, and then the way he gets you the puck, I think he's going to continue to build and continue to get more confidence,” Rust said.

Chinakhov just keeps finding new ways to be a threat and make an impact across all 200 feet of the ice, showcasing how deep his overall skill set is. Muse often points out Chinakhov’s defensive detail.

“I don't think he gets enough credit for the way he works away from the puck,” Muse said. “He's done a really good job there in terms of the tracking, the getting back, he's got some detail to his game. He's changing at the right time, he's driving wide, he's drawn a number of penalties. I think the scoring is obvious with him, but there's some things I've learned about him since he's been here that maybe I didn't know as much, but really like.”

He's quickly reaching the potential Dubas initially outlined, which is to become a winger who can play anywhere across the top of the lineup. Chinakhov has displayed terrific chemistry with Malkin, someone that he idolized growing up. Recently, Chinakhov has seen time with Sidney Crosby. He’s been effective regardless of his linemates or the situation.

“We think there's so much more for him to give on so many different levels for him to get to, and we have to push him there. And getting to know him a little bit, he's definitely going to put in the work,” Dubas said. “So, we're excited about him.”