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Jakob Chychrun

Latest On Jakob Chychrun

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While many may have expected Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun to be among the bigger names moved on trade deadline day on Monday, that did not happen. Chychrun remained a Coyote, and he will likely re-enter the trade conversation after this season concludes and the offseason enters full swing. Teams typically prefer to make more significant trades in the offseason, because the market for the player being shopped is generally larger. Less teams are willing to take a sledgehammer to their roster to be able to pay the price for a significant player when they are in the middle of their season, so it makes sense that Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong would wait until this summer to sell his biggest trade asset. But despite that strategy making sense, it may not have been the preferred route for all parties involved. According to Craig Morgan of PHNX.com (subscription required) Chychrun “welcomed” the idea of being traded to another club at the deadline and was “disappointed” that no deal was eventually reached.

While that may come as a surprise to some observers, just one look at the NHL’s standings could explain his reported stance more clearly. With the Montreal Canadiens’ win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Coyotes now sit last in the NHL with a 20-40-4 record. Armstrong has taken a no-holds-barred approach to rebuilding the team, and that approach means the Coyotes could be a few seasons away from truly focusing on winning. Morgan reports that Chychrun “wants to win now” and as a result, this approach Armstrong is taking is unlikely one that Chychrun would like to be around for the long haul. Morgan also states that Chychrun has “become unhappy” with his utilization and role under coach Andre Tourigny, which could also factor into his willingness to depart the Coyotes.

Given his success last season (he scored 18 goals and 41 points in the shortened 56-game season) and his relative youth (he is only 23 years old) there are many who believe that Chychrun is the kind of player the Coyotes should be building around, rather than trading. But Armstrong’s modus operandi for his entire tenure as Coyotes GM has been to extract as much long-term value as possible from players, and a player like Chychrun represents an extremely attractive trade asset from his perspective. If NHL clubs traded significant future assets for rental defensemen like Ben Chiarot at this deadline, Armstrong has to be expecting teams to offer significant packages for Chychrun, who is on a bargain $4.6MM AAV contract that runs through the 2024-25 season. If Armstrong is all-in on his rebuild of the Coyotes, entertaining an offseason bidding war for Chychrun is the sort of move that fits his plan perfectly. So, given Morgan’s recent reporting on Chychrun’s frame of mind on his future, it seems as though that sort of offseason trade sweepstakes is something Chychrun would welcome as well.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Troy Stecher

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The Los Angeles Kings have been shopping for a defenseman and were linked to a number of major targets. However, with the likes of Hampus Lindholm, Ben Chiarot, and Mark Giordano now off the table and Jakob Chychrun looking increasingly unlikely to be dealt before the deadline, L.A. has decided to go bargain hunting. The Detroit Red Wings have announced that they have traded defenseman Troy Stecher to the Kings in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick. Los Angeles has confirmed the deal as well.

Now, adding Stecher does not remove the Kings from making further deadline additions on the back end, particularly when it comes to long-term pieces like Chychrun. Though just 27 years old and still carrying some name recognition from when he was an up-and-coming blue liner with the Vancouver Canucks, Stecher is merely a rental depth option for the Kings. Stecher has only played in 16 games with Detroit this season, with two points and a career-low 15:08 averaget time on ice. He is now longer the player he was once expected to become and is just an extra option on defense in L.A., hence the low cost of a last-round pick.

With that being said, defensive depth is still highly valuable to the Kings. The club has been inundated with injuries of late, with top-four defenders Drew Doughty, Matt Roy, and Michael Anderson all sidelined, not to mention Sean Walker out for the year. The team has been fortunate enough to get Alex Edler back in the lineup after a long-term absence, but they still have five rookie or sophomore defensemen on the roster right now. Stecher brings some much-needed experience and veteran ability to the team to help with this short-term injury bug and could play himself into a regular role even once the team is back at full strength. Stecher and Edler are familiar having played together in Vancouver and it will be interesting to see if they are paired once again in L.A. and if that could be a stable, successful partnership.

Trade Rumors: Lindholm, Chychrun, Barabanov, De Haan

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With just four days remaining before the Trade Deadline, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that there hasn’t been much progress made on an extension between the Anaheim Ducks and defenseman Hampus Lindholm, and it’s unclear at this point whether general manager Pat Verbeek will circle back to try and work out a deal. Seravalli also relays that the current asking price for Lindholm is a first-round pick, a top prospect, and another asset. While Lindholm is still a quality defenseman after battling back from injury trouble the last few seasons, that’s an exorbitant asking price for a rental player with just 22 points in 61 games on the season. He’s second among Ducks blueliners in terms of ice time per game, being eclipsed by almost two minutes per game by Cam Fowler. Verbeek is playing a dangerous game here, and will likely have to up his extension offer or lower his asking price in order to retain value for Lindholm either way.

As the Trade Deadline creeps closer, some more notes from the trade market:

  • Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland says it’s “looking more and more like” the Arizona Coyotes won’t be dealing defenseman Jakob Chychrun prior to the Trade Deadline. The much-talked-about defenseman is currently on the shelf with an ankle injury, which originally put his availability in question. Strickland says it doesn’t mean that the team is going to hang onto him long-term, though, as there’s still a high potential for Chychrun to get moved over the summer, potentially prior to the 2022 NHL Draft.
  • The San Jose Sharks haven’t had any talks on a new deal for pending unrestricted free agent Alexander Barabanov, per The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. Assistant general manager Joe Will, who’s in effect the team’s interim GM while Doug Wilson is away on a medical leave of absence, knows that “[the team] is trying to replenish” and is listening to offers on many other pending UFAs as well. Barabanov’s continued a strong end to the 2020-21 campaign after being acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, posting 30 points in 51 games while receiving top-six minutes. It could be a bit of buyer beware in this case, though, as many advanced metrics suggest the 27-year-old’s production can be strongly attributed to playing with Tomas Hertl.
  • The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports conversation surrounding Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan is heating up, and specifically names the Toronto Maple Leafs as a team in the mix to acquire him. De Haan has just five points on the year, but he’s still an extremely capable two-way defenseman who’s helped stop the bleeding defensively this year in Chicago. He’s a solid case of a buy-low candidate who could flourish on a better team, which is exactly the type of player the Maple Leafs have targeted in recent months.

Jakob Chychrun Out Two To Four Weeks

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No player has been talked about as much or as long this season as Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The 23-year-old is a supremely skilled blue liner coming off of a 41-point season and carrying a very palatable $4.6MM cap hit through the 2024-25 season. Yet, the rebuilding ’Yotes have reportedly been willing to trade him for the right price in hopes of drawing a return that would better suit their timeline for contention than Chychrun’s contract. By no means was Arizona shopping the young star, but they were willing to listen and wait for a godfather offer.

Well, that offer may not be coming this season. Chychrun was injured on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins, falling awkwardly against the board following a Derek Forbort check. Chychrun left the game and did not return and yesterday the team announced that he was flying back to Glendale to be examined by team doctors. Those test results have now come back and the team has announced that Chychrun will miss the next two to four weeks with an undisclosed lower-body injury.

This is far from a worst-case scenario for the Coyotes – or Chychrun’s suitors – and doesn’t completely rule out a trade occurring before the deadline next Monday. After all, a Chychrun acquisition is a long-term move rather than a rental deal. The talented rearguard avoided long-term injury and that is all that matters in the big picture. However, the injury does substantially lessen the odds of a deal being made this week. Most teams eyeing Chychrun are contenders or at least battling for a playoff spot and will think twice about paying full price for an injured player guaranteed to miss time down the stretch. As such, Arizona is not going to accept a reduced offer for their most valuable trade chip just because he could miss a few weeks of his remaining three plus years under contract. The Coyotes are under no obligation or time pressure to trade Chychrun and will wait as long as it takes to be blown away by an offer.

In the meantime, Chychrun is still on the active roster for the time being, merely scratched from the lineup for Monday night’s game. Whether he remains on the roster or is moved to the injured reserve, Chychrun’s recovery timeline implies that he will not play again before the deadline. Interested teams have seen plenty of him this year to make a decision before the deadline, and Arizona will still be open to an offer they can’t refuse, but in all likelihood the Chychrun saga will continue into the offseason or beyond.

Deadline Notes: Chychrun, Marino, Klingberg, Georgiev

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The Arizona Coyotes announced that defenseman Jakob Chychrun would not return for the Coyotes tonight after suffering a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins. Interestingly, this was Chychrun’s second trip to the dressing room of the evening, after leaving the ice earlier in the game and returning, before taking a hit from Boston’s Derek Forbort. As a result of the hit, Chychrun fell awkwardly into the boards.

The injury carries multiple layers of concern for the Coyoytes. While the team is first and foremost concerned with the health of Chychrun, he is one of Arizona’s most important players. It’s also no secret that Chychrun’s name has been front and center among potential trade bait as the NHL’s trade deadline nears, and any long-term injury to Chychrun could drastically affect his market.

  • In the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added another interesting name to the trade deadline discussion: John Marino. Friedman mentions Marino as a potential option for the Vancouver Canucks, who are searching for an impact defenseman. Friedman adds, however, that the Pittsburgh Penguins very much like Marino and would certainly prefer to keep him. The idea of trading Marino might seem misplaced, especially with the Penguins sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division, however Vancouver could utilize one of their forward assets such as J.T. Miller or Brock Boeser to try and acquire Marino from Pittsburgh. Even if the young defenseman could bring the Penguins a player like Boeser, Marino is signed through the 2026-27 season at a very reasonable $4.4MM per season, something the salary-cap-mindful Penguins may not want to part with.
  • Joining Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada was Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, who took a name out of the deadline conversation: John Klingberg. Marek mentions that with Miro Heiskanen expected to miss time with mononucleosis, Klingberg may now be more valuable to the Stars than what they could get back for him. Rumors had started to circulate around Klingberg as a potential trade chip when it appeared the Stars would not be able to re-sign the pending UFA. While the talented defenseman would likely bring back a large return for Dallas, the team is in the midst of a playoff push and could use Klingberg for its own benefit. Even if Klingberg leaves via free agency in the summer, he could function as a rental for Dallas, who may have sought to replace him anyways if they were to trade him away. With nine days to go until the NHL’s trade deadline, things can surely change, but for now, it appears Klingberg is staying put.
  • ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that New York Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has switched agents ahead of the trade deadline. Georgiev is now represented by Gerry Johannson of TSC Hockey. It is not immediately clear why Georgiev changed his representation, but the switch is noteworthy considering Georgiev is one of the more likely names to be moved ahead of the trade deadline.

Trade Rumors: Chychrun, Myers, Motte

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It appears as though Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s hot streak couldn’t be timed any better. Chychrun’s play has come alive in the past week or so, along with the rest of the team, as the much-discussed defenseman now has eight points in his last five games, including an overtime winner last night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports, in conversation with an unnamed NHL general manager, that the Coyotes are “swinging for the fences” on Chychrun’s ask. There appears to be an increased probability that the price could be even higher than the previously reported ask of a first-round pick and two top prospects, something that’s evidenced by the laundry list of teams that have been rumored in recent days to be interested in Chychrun’s services. Any acquisition of that magnitude for the Coyotes would jumpstart a prospect pool that’s already on the rise, likely bringing in one or two players that could be in the NHL lineup next season. It’s worth noting that the team already has eight selections in the first two rounds of this year’s draft, a number that could quickly rise to nine if they acquire a fourth first-round pick in this deal.

More trade notes, this time from British Columbia:

  • Sportsnet 590’s Nick Kypreos suggests that defenseman Tyler Myers could be on the trading block for the Vancouver Canucks. With rumors surrounding another trade piece in J.T. Miller continuing to die down, the Canucks could likely look to move a variety of other players to gain assets this Trade Deadline. Myers does carry a 10-team no-trade list and has a rather bloated $6MM cap hit for two more seasons following this one, but he’s improved defensively a lot this season, especially after the team’s coaching change. Myers’ unexpected resurgence is likely to pay dividends for the team no matter what if he keeps it up through the remainder of his deal, as a solid run of play before the deadline will only increase his potential trade value for any takers.
  • The Fourth Period’s Irfaan Gaffar also reports another Tyler could be on the move out of Vancouver, as he says the Tampa Bay Lightning have shown “a lot of interest” in Tyler Motte. He’s a small acquisition that the Lightning could potentially actually have the cap flexibility to make, as Motte carries a friendly cap hit of $1.225MM. He has seven goals and 14 points in 43 games this season after missing some time to start the year with injury and would add a more veteran presence to a Tampa Bay lineup that’s relied more this season on inexperienced youth than in years past.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Six, Chychrun

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Dallas Stars phenom Jason Robertson taking the top spot following his back-to-back hat trick efforts. Robertson had seven goals in three games for the week and now has 46 goals and 100 points in his first 100 NHL contests. While he’s shooting an incredible 20.4 percent this season, the 22-year-old is proving he’s no fluke and should be among the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons for years to come.

The second and third spots went to Nick Schmaltz and Igor Shesterkin respectively, with outstanding weeks of their own. The Arizona Coyotes forward had an incredible seven-point night against the Ottawa Senators and has been playing huge minutes over the last few weeks, really stepping back into the offensive role he carried earlier in his career. Shesterkin meanwhile continued his historic season with three more wins and actually raised his save percentage to .942 on the year. Shesterkin leads in almost every goaltending category so far and has a 28-6-3 record to go with it.

  • The Toronto Six, a PHF franchise that came into existence in 2020, has been sold to a new ownership group that includes former NHL player Anthony Stewart, Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela James and former NHL coach Ted Nolan. The Six are currently in first place in the PHF with a 13-2-1 record on the year and are next in action on March 12.
  • The Coyotes still prefer to not trade Jakob Chychrun, according to general manager Bill Armstrong who spoke with The Fourth Period’s Anthony Di Marco, but they won’t be turning down any calls. Armstrong admitted that “if someone were to offer the right assets” they would be interested in moving Chychrun, even if the “preference” is to not. Earlier this season, reports emerged suggesting that the asking price was quite high, an ask that obviously hasn’t been met to this point.

Latest On Jakob Chychrun

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The Trade Deadline is still over a month away, but that hasn’t stopped activity from slowly beginning to increase across the league. That trend doesn’t appear to be stopping, as multiple big names are still on the market and could be moved prior to the deadline. One of those names is Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who’s probably the best defenseman available.

Trade talk has surrounded Chychrun all throughout this season, as a tough year for the Coyotes has meant a tough year for him personally on the ice. Now, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that there’s an “increased level of activity” surrounding Chychrun trade discussions, and it appears as though the Los Angeles Kings are the current frontrunner in those talks.

While it’s obviously impossible to predict a return, Pagnotta reports that sources indicate the Coyotes are interested in a package from Los Angeles that includes prospect Gabriel Vilardi. Selected 11th overall back in 2017, Vilardi’s struggled with injury during his development process but looked at home in L.A. last season with 23 points in 54 games. With just one assist in 7 NHL games this season, though, he’s been spending a lot of time with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. There, he’s chugging along with 29 points in 29 games, a positive indicator there.

The Kings currently sit with 59 points and the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. While the team’s received strong play from Drew Doughty, Matt Roy, and Sean Durzi on the right side defensively, their left side lacks a higher-end, experienced NHL defenseman. While Chychrun is just 23, he’s at least been in the league for a few seasons and even has some brief playoff experience under his belt. There’s a natural fit for him atop the defensive depth chart on a pairing with Doughty, a situation that could help him rediscover the offensive side of his game.

Poll: Which Player Will Fetch The Biggest Trade Deadline Return?

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The trade deadline is almost within the next month, and as March 21st approaches, rumors continue to swirl about names that could be dealt. There’s a lot of big-name talent, and some high-end role players as well that teams are sure to value.

One player who truly encapsulates both of those terms is Claude Giroux. The longtime captain of the Philadelphia Flyers is in the last year of his deal, and as the Flyers skid further and further out of playoff contention, there’s continual chatter about them moving their captain out for assets, helping him get a chance to win a Stanley Cup. There are many teams who would line up to acquire his services, including the already powerhouse Colorado Avalanche, who have been linked to Giroux in recent days.

Another potential big-name center on the market is San Jose’s Tomas Hertl. Speculation about his future has ramped up rapidly. With the Sharks in a sort of “tweener” status as they look to exit their rebuild sooner than planned, Hertl is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season in the prime of his career. This will be the biggest payday of his life in all likelihood, and while Hertl does enjoy San Jose, if the Sharks feel it’s unlikely they’ll be able to reach a deal, he could be suiting up elsewhere next month.

Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is having a tough year in Arizona, but that doesn’t mean the young, cost-controlled blue-liner isn’t an attractive piece for teams looking at adding to their top-four. The rumoured asking price for him is large, but Chychrun has just 11 points in 37 games, a far cry from his torrid pace last season. He’s no rental, though, as if he rebounds, his $4.6MM cap hit until 2025 could be incredible value for an acquiring team.

One defenseman who is racking up points is Dallas’ John Klingberg. While injured right now, he has 26 points in 39 games. An unrestricted free agent this year, Klingberg reportedly requested a trade. With Dallas not guaranteed to make the playoffs at this point, they could make the choice to recoup assets on Klingberg while they can.

So, we ask you, PHR readers: who do you think will fetch the largest return at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline? Will it be someone other than the options mentioned? Make your voice heard here.

Mobile users, click here to vote!

Trade Rumors: Chiarot, Oilers, Coyotes, DeBrusk

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While the Marc-Andre Fleury-Washington Capitals connection was the highlight of the most recent “32 Thoughts” column from Sportnset’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider had plenty else to say about the burgeoning trade market. Though just a small note, the inclusion most likely to come to fruition is Friedman’s report that several teams are pursuing Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot. Chiarot’s name has been out there among trade candidate all season and it isn’t going away. As the top impending free agent on the NHL’s worst team, Chiarot is a near lock to be dealt. Friedman reports that the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, and St. Louis Blues are among the teams confirmed to have interest in Chiarot, but Friedman also keys in on another possibility: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The rumblings out of Toronto suggest that the Leafs are targeting a defenseman at the trade deadline and they may very well need one to escape the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division. Friedman notes that the club kicked the tires on Chiarot when he was a free agent and could be a top contender to land him this time around.

  • Another report that is hardly outside the box is Friedman’s suggestion that the Edmonton Oilers have looked into just about every goalie that could potentially be traded this season. Among the list of names are some who have already been linked to Edmonton, such as Columbus’ Joonas Korpisalo and Dallas’ Braden Holtby and Anton Khudobin, but other interesting targets include Philadelphia’s Martin Jones and Washington’s Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. However, the key piece of Friedman’s report is that the Oilers may end up empty-handed if they aren’t willing to improve their offer. Friedman hears from potential trade partners that Edmonton is not willing to move their first-round pick and increasingly hesitant to move their second-rounder as well. Without a third- or fourth-round selection this year, the Oilers are seemingly only peddling late-round picks, with top prospects likely off the board as well. That won’t get it done in a sellers’ market.
  • One goalie who likely won’t wind up in Edmonton is Arizona’s Karel Vejmelka. Though there have been few bright spots in the Coyotes’ dismal season, Vejmelka’s play has given fans in the desert some hope. The 25-year-old rookie, an unheralded import from the top level in Czechia, has performed well this season. By league standards, his .901 save percentage and 3.40 GAA may not seem like much to be excited about, but as a first-year NHLer playing behind one of the worst rosters in the league, the keeper has held his own in 25 appearances. Rather than quickly flip Vejmelka to another team, the ’Yotes seem insistent on extending the goaltender instead, including him as a core piece in their rebuild.
  • Still in Arizona, where rumors circle the struggling squad, Friedman reports that young forward Lawson Crouse is unlikely to be traded despite recent speculation. The hulking power forward is not without his flaws, but with 10 goals and 20 points in 40 games, Crouse is well on his way to a career year. Although the Coyotes have shown their willingness to move on from high-potential players for the right price by placing Jakob Chychrun on the block, Friedman states that they have begun telling suitors that they would prefer to keep Crouse.
  • Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa writes that the market for Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk is in fact as cold as it seems. There was a flurry of speculation when DeBrusk first requested a trade, but it has quieted down significantly since Boston’s play improved in the new year. This isn’t because the Bruins aren’t listening though. Instead, Shinzawa reports that teams seem hesitant to make the commitment to DeBrusk, at least at the Bruins’ asking price. While his play has improved of late, it is still far off his performance earlier in his career and not up to the level that his $4.41MM qualify offer demands. The challenge for the Bruins is to find a team willing to pay the asking price that either is willing to qualify or otherwise negotiate an extension with DeBrusk or conversely a team that sees him as a rental, as recent rumors have suggested the New York Rangers might. Neither the Bruins nor DeBrusk want to extend their relationship, but it may be easier said than done to find the right deal.

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