Yegor Chinakhov is developing on and off the ice the way the Columbus Blue Jackets were hoping when they selected him in the first round (No. 21) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
The 19-year-old forward has scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 27 games for Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League this season.
"He's been very solid," Blue Jackets European player development coach Jarkko Ruutu said. "I can't tell by the way he plays that he's 19 years of age and he's playing on one of the top teams in the KHL and on the top line. He's been very mature for his age."
Chinakhov was fifth in Russia's junior league last season with 69 points (27 goals, 42 assists) in 56 games, but this season has been about developing his all-around game.
"He plays responsible hockey on both sides of the puck, has a good shot and offensive abilities," Ruutu said. "I'd like to a see a little more firmness on his 1-on-1 battles. That's probably the biggest thing that when you take the next step you have to be very determined to win the battles ... he's fairly good at it, but he can take the next step at it and become more consistent with it."
Working in Chinakhov's favor is playing for Bob Hartley, who coached 944 NHL games for the Colorado Avalanche, Atlanta Thrashers and Calgary Flames, and won the Stanley Cup as Avalanche coach in 2001.
"Great kid, wants to learn," Hartley said of Chinakhov. "Good size (6-foot, 178 pounds). Best part of his game is his wrist shot. We are working with him to improve his all-around game. Very good hockey sense. Skating is good. He is adjusting very well to the pro game.
"Yegor has shown me that he understands the game and he can adjust his game based on different situations. He wants to become a very reliable player on both sides of the puck. He is a quick learner, a very good student and it's fun to teach him."
Hartley's NHL experience is one reason the Blue Jackets are happy with his role in Chinakhov's development. The other is the language barrier.
"Bob is a demanding guy," Ruutu said. "He knows what it takes to play at the next level. One of the key things with him as a coach is Yegor gets exposed to English on a daily basis."
Chinakhov's growing grasp of the language will help him when he gets to North America.
"Learning English is a very vital thing," Ruutu said. "If you look at the big picture, the quicker you learn it, the more comfortable you're understanding and speaking it, the quicker the adjustment. He's not great at his English yet, but at least he's getting exposed on a daily basis. That's the first step on the way to North American hockey. It makes a big difference on coming over and getting used to a new team and a new setup and learning new habits in a new country."
