With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason after a brief return to the postseason, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 53 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with veteran Noel Acciari and going on through to prospect Bill Zonnon, every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published every day until June 24, two days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Egor Chinakhov

Position: Right winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 203 pounds

2025-26 NHL regular season statistics: 72 games, 42 points (21 goals, 21 assists), 13:29 of average ice time per contest

2025-26 NHL postseason statistics: Six games, zero points (zero goals, zero assists), 14:25 of average ice time per contest

Contract: In the final year of a two-year contract with a salary cap hit of $2.1 million. Pending restricted free agent on July 1

(Chinakhov is eligible for salary arbitration.)

Acquired: Trade, Dec. 29, 2025

This season: Egor Chinakhov was a mystery almost from the start.

No, not when the Penguins acquired him during the holidays.

But upon his entry into the NHL in 2020.

When the Blue Jackets selected him in the first round (No. 21 overall) in that year’s draft, there wasn’t much known about him. In fact, the broadcasters covering the draft were caught off guard by the selection and didn’t even have video of him playing in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League or much detail whatsoever on him.

But the Blue Jackets were convinced they found a steal. Those aspirations never materialized, however. In his first four seasons in the NHL, he never seemed to gain much traction and regularly bounced between the Blue Jackets and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

After enduring a difficult 2024-25 season in which a back injury sidelined him for 39 games, he requested a trade during the offseason, citing a “misunderstanding” with coach Dean Evason.

Chinakhov remained in Columbus by the time the 2025-26 season opened. A healthy scratch for eight of a possible 37 games with the Blue Jackets, he posted only six points (three goals, three assists) in 29 games while largely relegated to a bottom-six role, averaging 10:18 of ice time per contest.

Right before New Year’s Eve, Chinakhkov’s request was granted and he was sent to the Penguins in exchange for forward Danton Heinen, along with a second-round draft pick in 2026 and a third-round draft pick in 2027.

The Penguins eased Chinakhov into the lineup by having him skate on the left wing of the third line for three games. In his second game, he scored his first goal with the Penguins during a 4-1 road win against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 3.

By Jan. 8, Chinakhov was moved to the second line, a promotion that coincided with the return of fellow Russian forward Evgeni Malkin, who had been sidelined due to a left shoulder injury. With Tommy Novak eventually joining the two Russians, Chinakhov thrived on the second line. In 20 games with Malkin and Novak – before Malkin was suspended five games on March 6 – Chinakhov generated 14 points (10 goals, four assists).

To complete the regular season, Chinakhov skated on the top line with center Sidney Crosby for eight games and was also prolific in that station, collecting 10 points (four goals, six assists).

Perhaps his most significant goal came during that stretch. On April 9, in a 5-2 road victory against the New Jersey Devils that secured the Penguins’ first playoff berth since 2022, Chinakhov scored the game-winning goal.

Ultimately, Chinakhov had 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 43 games with the Penguins while averaging 15:37 of ice time per contest, primarily on the left wing.

Appearing in his first career postseason games, Chinakhov was largely hemmed in by the Philadelphia Flyers, who defended him in a hard, physical fashion. Moved around the top three lines while also working on the second power-play unit, Chinakhov was held without a point.

The future: With Chinakhov a pending restricted free agent, re-signing him should be a fairly quotidian matter. Given that the Penguins have more than $40 million of projected salary cap space this offseason, signing him to a contract with significant term and salary might be a prudent path forward for both parties.

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Long term, Chinakhov figures to be someone the Penguins will lean on to be part of helping the franchise become a championship contender once again. He’s still half a decade away from turning 30 and has a world of potential as an offensive force, given his lightning bolt of a shot and fast set of skates. Presumably, with further familiarity with his new surrondings, he figures to only make a larger impact starting next season.

It took a while, but Chinakhov finally found himself with the Penguins.