Egor Chinakhov is one of the fastest skaters in the NHL and also possesses one of the hardest shots.
Pittsburgh Penguins fans didn't get to see that on display on Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche, though. He was out with a surprise injury.
Chinakhov hadn't missed a game yet this season, so it was a surprise when the Penguins announced that he wouldn't be playing against the Avs.
Given that the Avalanche are one of the most potent offenses in hockey, it certainly wasn't good for the Penguins that Chinakhov wasn't available.
Chinakhov reportedly wasn't hurt during a game.
According to Taylor Haase of DK Pittsburgh Sports , Chinakhov was hurt in practice on Thursday.
The Penguins announced it as a lower-body injury for Chinakhov.
"He's still being evaluated, and there is no timeline for his return yet," Haase writes.
The youngster Ville Koivunen hadn't been with a line during Thursday's practice.
But with Chinakhov out, Koivunen goes from a possible scratch and gets back into the lineup.
While the Penguins will miss Chinakhov, it's a chance for the inexperienced Koivunen to see what it's like to face a team like the Avalanche.
The 25-year-old Chinakhov isn't off to the best of starts this season, but his natural talent is the kind that could break through at any moment.
He was originally a first-round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 NHL Draft at No. 21 overall.
He was with the Blue Jackets until midway through the 2025-26 season when they traded him to Pittsburgh.
In 43 games with the Penguins to end last season, Chinakhov was on fire — he put up 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points.
So far this season, Chinakov has one goal and one assist through seven games.
He is averaging 15 minutes and 54 seconds of ice time, which would actually be the highest of his career.
The Penguins had him working on the second line at Thursday's practice before his apparent injury.
Pittsburgh, as their fans know, is led in large part by some extremely experienced players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The infusion of talented younger forwards is exactly what gives the Penguins a chance to contend both now and in the future.
An extended Chinakhov absence would be costly for the Penguins, so they'll be hoping that whatever this is can resolve itself sooner rather than later. They'd appreciate getting his impressive physical talents back on the ice.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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