The surprising reason Avalanche trade talks keep circling back to Chinakhov
Photo credit: Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports
A surprising new development may explain why the Colorado Avalanche keep surfacing in trade rumours involving Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov, as the young winger's skill set could fill a key need in Colorado's lineup.
Chinakhov's name has already been linked to the Avalanche in trade rumours.
Avalanche continually linked to Yegor Chinakhov.
Joe Yerdon from Bleacher Report writes that on the surface, there's not much to worry about when it comes to the Colorado Avalanche. With stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, and Devon Toews leading the charge, the lineup looks stacked with talent. From top to bottom, there's plenty to be excited about.
Still, there's something a little curious about their overall forward depth. It doesn't look quite as sturdy as it once did, especially after trading Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus in exchange for Gavin Brindley and a couple of draft picks.
The move freed up some much-needed cap space, but in doing so, it arguably thinned out their lineup in the short term.
"Adding Chinakhov would give Colorado an instantly NHL-ready player and his $2.1 million cap hit is not an issue. The Avs are Stanley Cup contenders and rely heavily on their top guys, but experienced depth can be a difference maker in the postseason. Going in against Dallas, Winnipeg, Vegas, Edmonton and everyone else in the West with lineup questions isn't a good plan." -Yerdon
Although the Avalanche added Gavin Brindley to the organization, he comes with just one NHL game under his belt, played after signing out of the University of Michigan with Columbus. His first season in the AHL proved to be a tough adjustment, and he'll need more development before earning meaningful NHL time.
Colorado also recently acquired Danil Gushchin from San Jose in a minor league swap for Oskar Olausson. While Gushchin's 18 games of NHL experience give him a slight edge over Brindley, it's still a limited sample and far from a proven track record.
Chinakhov could represent a key young piece capable of taking a bigger step each season, potentially helping to pivot the franchise's direction as the Avalanche's veteran core gradually ages and begins to take a step back.
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JUILLET 30 | 8 ANSWERS The surprising reason Avalanche trade talks keep circling back to Chinakhov Do you want the Avalanche to trade for Yegor Chinakhov this offseason? | ||
| yes | 5 | 62.5 % |
| no | 3 | 37.5 % |
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