It looks like we’ve been discussing the possibility of trading Jakob Chychrun outside of Arizona for nearly two years now. While the defending man is still a member of the Coyotes and will apparently start the season in the desert, it is very likely that he will be wearing a different jacket by the end of the year.
The 24-year-old spoke about his last year at Arizona State with the media ahead of training camp last week, noting that he has held talks with the team and that the hope is that he will eventually be traded.
“Knowing what kind of competitor and person I am, [the Coyotes] This reconstruction would be difficult or difficult for me, said Chicheron, if I wanted to be in a different situation, they would be willing to make it happen. View and try to move to a better position [because of] My desire is to win this league.
I don’t want these years to go on and I’m 10 or 12 years old and I haven’t had a good chance of not just in the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup. That’s really my mentality and my position and I think the team understands that, to move into a position that has a chance of winning and a team that is fighting for the Stanley Cup.
I’ve felt the Wolves rebuild for years, yet they’re nowhere close to competing for the playoffs, so it’s understandable why Chychrun would want to get out.
Chychrun has been a staple of the Coyotes squad since 2016-2017, but really made an appearance on the scene in 2020-21 when he scored 18 goals and 23 assists in 56 games. He played just 47 games last year, scoring 21 points, and while his name was discussed a lot at the 2022 trading deadline, the Coyotes chose to stick with him.
The attraction with the 16th pick from the 2016 draft isn’t just the fact that he’s 24 and an excellent defensive man. Chychrun has three years left on a very friendly deal with the team, maxing out at just $4.6 million. While Arizona was in no hurry to transfer him previously, he does have an amended no-trade clause that begins at the start of the 2023-24 season and continues through the final two years of his deal.
The asking price for wolves is still high, and rightfully so. The team reportedly wanted a first-round selection, a high-end prospect and a young player in exchange for the blue stripes. While a move now doesn’t seem likely, look for Chychrun once again at the top of the lists of final trade targets for contenders.
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With that in mind, here are four teams that could move in favor of the Coyote Defender.
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Ottawa Senators
A few months ago, you couldn’t really consider the Senators a contender. But after trading for Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot, and signing with Claude Giroux at a free agency, the team has an exciting future ahead.
It makes perfect sense that senators would be Cicero’s destination.
For starters, Ottawa desperately needs help on the Blue Line. While GM Pierre Dorion strengthened the front group and took over Talbot to be the starting goalkeeper, defense remains a concern. In turn, Senators have a number of interesting prospects that wolves should be interested in, including Shane Pinto, Ridley Gregg, and Jacob Bernard Docker.
One deciding factor for any team trying to trade for Chychrun will be cap space, however, that shouldn’t be an issue for Ottawa. According to CapFri Friendly, the team enters the 2022-23 season with just under $5.7 million available, which would be enough to fit Chychrun’s $4.6 million cap.
While Chychrun’s addition to the Blue Line will help greatly, it adds another left-handed shot to a group made up of Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom and Jake Sanderson. The most important concern is on the right, but someone can turn to play in his hand. Regardless, adding Chychrun to the Senators gives them another advantage, a small piece to their institution and most importantly, makes them a stronger contender.
Columbus blue jackets
There have been a few teams associated with Chychrun over the past year and they have changed, but perhaps no one came close to a finished deal of Blue Jackets.
It was reported that Columbus tried to get a completed deal with Arizona on the 2022 NHL draft. According to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, several sources confirmed that a deal was being discussed at the time, but nothing came of it. This is in line with Bruce Jarwich of the Ottawa Sun She later stated that an agreement was in effect, but ultimately failed for unknown reasons.
So could Columbus take another tour of Chicheron? It’s possible. They’re not necessarily one of the playoff contenders, but after signing with Johnny Goudreau in free agency, there might be a call for Chychrun.
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The Blue Jackets don’t have two first-round runs in the 2023 draft as they did last summer, but they still have a number of good prospects to offer, like Kirill Marchenko or Denton Mateychuk, or a young player like Emil. Bmstrom. While I think the team misfired Chychrun in the draft, if they were contenders by the trade deadline they could push for him again.
Los Angeles Kings
I’ve always thought that Kings would be a perfect match to trade with wolves. Los Angeles is brimming with prospects and it competed in the playoffs last year. They are looking to be out of rebuilding and ready to compete.
The Los Angeles Blue Line doesn’t support much star power outside of Drew Doughty. The left side currently consists of veteran Alex Edler and juniors Mickey Anderson and Tobias Björnfoot. If Chychrun were to come, he would immediately be the best left-handed defender.
Looking at the prospects, the Kings have a number of options to offer in a deal. It didn’t turn out that Alex Turcot was quite what the Kings expected when they took him fifth overall in the 2019 draft, but he still has appeal. Jordan Spence or Rasmus Kopari could be included in the deal. Looking at the young players on the list, someone like Arthur Kaliev could also be considered.
Currently, the Kings have a roster that is capable of making the playoffs, but I don’t think anyone sees it as a legitimate contender for the cup. Adding Chychrun will bring them one step closer to getting there. With limited roof space, the Kings will have to make a corresponding move or send another contract to Arizona to hammer out a deal.
New York Islanders
Of any of the teams on this list, it’s the islanders who will increase their trophy odds the most by adding Chychrun. The New York roster is the same as the one that was one game away from the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, and the group came out en masse to prove that failure in the playoffs last year was a fluke.
Adding a Coyote Defender would give the Islands a fourth place team consisting of Adam Bellick, Ryan Bullock, Noah Dobson and Chicheron. That’s a good group as you’ll find it, giving the islanders another defenseman-moving goblin that the team lacked.
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Now, GM Lou Lamoriello may not be inclined to deal with another young left-handed defenseman after trading with Alexander Romanov on enlistment day. It’s also a trade that cost carrots a first-round pick, so once again, Lamoreello might be hesitant to trade another great option.
It’s not just Lamoreello who can curb the trade. The islands don’t have many possibilities to offer the Coyotes, who will likely target top prizers like Aatu Raty, William Dufour or Simon Holmstrom. Additionally, the islanders only have about $2.3 million in cover space. While Chychrun’s addition makes sense for New York, it probably won’t make sense.