The NHL roster freeze is set to expire this weekend, and the Buffalo Sabres, with new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, can begin making moves to hopefully continue their recent run of success. The focus for the Sabres is probably on moving one of their goalie but they should be exploring all options at this point, and that could include trying to improve the forward position.
One way they could do that is Jarmo Kekalainen actually calling his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they could have a forward looking for a fresh start in Yegor Chinakhov. The former first-round pick requested a trade over the summer and with the Blue Jackets trading with the Anaheim Ducks for Mason Marchment, Chinakhov's role is only going to diminish.
Buffalo Sabres named as a match for Yegor Chinakhov if the Blue Jackets trade him
Recently, Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic went through some of the players who could be available and made their picks of the team that would be a match. For the Chinakhov, Johnston selected the Buffalo Sabres. He wrote:
"The Sabres have the draft capital needed to make a future-focused trade, but they also have young roster players who could be moved in a more traditional hockey deal.
Chinakhov is still viewed by some around the league as a strong candidate to break out if given a fresh start. His strength and speed are certainly attractive attributes. They’re the qualities that attracted him to Kekäläinen in the first place."
As Johnston mentions, it was Kekalainen who would draft him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He wasted no time getting to the NHL and would play in 62 games his rookie season with 14 points in 2021-22.
In total, he has appeared in 204 NHL games and has 37 goals and 40 assists but really hasn't been able to make the impact many, including Kekalainen, expected. The question is whether that is due to the player or the situation and a fresh start in Buffalo could be what he needs.
As Johnston wrote, Chinakhov has a great blend of strength and speed which the Buffalo Sabres would love to add.
Where might Chinakhov fit in the Sabres forwards lines?
If the Sabres were to trade for Chinakhov, the big question is how they might incorporate him into the lines. While Peyton Krebs has been fine on the top line, and Tage Thompson is playing some of his best hockey with him, this is one spot they could look to upgrade.
However, Chinakhov probably will need to show he is ready for a spot on the top line before Buffalo moves him there. What they could do, though, is move Alex Tuch or even Zach Benson up to that top line and have Chinakhov step in on the second or third line with Krebs moving back to the fourth line where he played most of the season.
It wouldn't necessarily be a one-for-one swap but the Sabres could shuffle their lines to improve the depth among the forwards and continue their recent run of success.