Egor Chinakhov reveals how he truly feels about Pittsburgh

Chinakhov said he «likes everything» about Pittsburgh so far, and he feels trust from both the coaching staff and the room.

That kind of quote only lands when the shifts back it up.

The Penguins didn't trade for him just to add another body on the wing.

They traded for a scorer with real first-round skill, and they wanted the reset to happen in a hurry.

Since arriving from Columbus on December 29, he's already cashed in with goals in Detroit, against Calgary, and again Thursday versus Philadelphia.

That's three goals that all look the same, quick release, no extra stickhandling, goalie guessing.

As a fan, you can feel when a new guy is playing loose instead of surviving shifts.

Dan Muse has kept Chinakhov in a spot where he can attack, not overthink.

Lately that's meant skating with Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin, which is basically an open invitation to jump into soft ice and shoot.

The tactical fit is pretty clear when you watch his entries.

He's not a cute perimeter winger, he'll carry wide, cut inside late, and fire before the defense can set its feet.

Tonight adds a little extra juice because it's Columbus again, and it's the second time he's seen his old team since the trade.

The season series has been wild, every meeting has gone to overtime, and Pittsburgh has a 2-0-1 edge.

The future angle is sitting right there too.

Chinakhov is 24, was the 21st pick in 2020, carries a $2.1 million cap hit, and can become an RFA after the season, so this isn't a pure rental story.

If he keeps stacking confident games like this, «trust» won't just be a quote, it'll be the reason Pittsburgh's top nine suddenly feels deeper heading into the next stretch.

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