Yegor Chinakhov has come a long way in his three seasons with the Blue Jackets, and you can’t help but think there’s a lot more to come.
The 2020 first-round pick of the Jackets had his most successful NHL campaign a year ago, posting 16 goals and 29 points while starting to show his size and speed can make him a consistently dynamic player at the top level. But at the same time, he missed a large chunk of the season because of injuries for the second consecutive year.
TRAINING CAMP HOME, PRESENTED BY OHIOHEALTH
Is Chinakhov primed for a breakout? BlueJackets.com caught up with the Russian forward to discuss that topic, as well as his summer activities back home and his thoughts on being in Columbus.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
What’s the best part about being home in the summer? It’s a long way away, so you don’t get to go in season.
“It’s a good chance to see the family, my niece and friends who I’m close to in age. It’s pretty good. You’re just happy to be home.”
You're originally from Omsk, but where you this summer?
“In Moscow. My family is in Krasnodar. It’s kind of like Miami a little bit. I enjoyed the time.”
Did you spend time in Krasnodar as well?
“No, because in Krasnodar, there’s not any place to practice. You have to go to Moscow to practice.”
You said it’s like Miami though. Sounds like a good place to be.
“Yeah, but it’s not enough hockey. (Smiles).”
Who were some of the players you got to work out with during the summer?
“I practice together with (Dmitri Voronkov). We skate every day. (Kirill Marchenko) skates with us, Kirill Kaprizov. A lot of guys who play in the KHL. Klim Koston, too.”
Did you get a chance to see Marchy and Vronny a lot?
“Yeah, we skate together sometimes. It’s good. It’s fun, but when you practice for four months with just training, you miss the games. It’s pretty hard. You just practice every day and wait for the games. That’s it.”
The United States and Russia are pretty different places. What do you miss the most when you’re here? When you get home, are there foods or certain things you can’t wait for?
“I miss the food. In Russia, it’s more natural. But (Columbus) is a second home. It’s my fourth year here. I enjoy the time here, too. It’s fun for me.”
As you said, this is your fourth year in Columbus. How much have you grown to enjoy the city and enjoy being here?
“For sure. The last maybe month and a half, I missed it here. I just want to be over here playing games and being with my teammates. I have a lot of time here. It’s my second home now. I just enjoy the city.”
Hockey wise, how excited are you to get going? You’ve had some ups and downs – success, injury. You’ve gone through a lot, but do you feel like this is a chance to take a step forward?
“Yeah, for sure. Everybody wants to step forward, and if you want to win the game, be a good teammate and everybody steps forward. You need to just play the hockey and show what you can do. You need to (progress) up, up every year. Just try to learn how to play and just keep growing up.”
You had some success last year. Did you feel more confident, more comfortable as you were producing more?
“For sure. I just try to believe in myself and see I can play here, just play good. I just need to believe in myself and listen to the coaches and that’s it.”
Do you have expectations or goals that you want to achieve?
“For sure. Everybody wants to score, but if you play right, you have a chance and can score, right? You need to earn the ice time, and that’s it.”
I’ve noticed in camp you've been chirping Daniil Tarasov a bit in practice. On the ice, is it fun to have him here?
“Yeah, we have a hard practice, but it’s still fun. We just try to have fun with each other.”
Does he ever chirp you back?
“Yeah, but not on the ice because I always score on him. (Smiles.) In the locker room for sure.”
