It feels like we have been discussing the possibility of a Jakob Chychrun trade out of Arizona for nearly two years now. While the defenseman still remains a member of the Coyotes and will seemingly start the season out in the desert, it's very likely he'll be donning a different sweater by the end of the year.
The 24-year-old talked about the last year in Arizona with the media ahead of training camp last week, stating that he has had conversations with the team and that the hope is that he will eventually be traded.
"Knowing the type of competitor and person that I am, [the Coyotes] indicated if this rebuild was going to be hard or difficult on me that, if I wanted to be in a different situation, they were going to be willing to and make that happen," Chychrun said. "I decided to take them up on that offer and try to move on to a better situation [because of] my desire to win in this league.
I don't want these years to keep going by and be 10, 12 years in and not had a real good chance at not only the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup. That's really my mentality and where I'm at and I think the team understands that, to get moved to a situation with a chance to win and a team that's fighting for the Stanley Cup.
It's felt like the Coyotes have been rebuilding for years, yet they are nowhere close to contending for the playoffs, so it's understandable why Chychrun would want out.
Chychrun has been a staple in the Coyotes lineup since 2016-17, but he really burst onto the scene in 2020-21 when he has 18 goals and 23 assists in 56 games. He played in only 47 games last year, recording 21 points and while his name was discussed a ton at the 2022 trade deadline, the Coyotes elected to hang onto him.
The appeal with the No. 16 pick from the 2016 draft isn't just the fact that he's 24 years old and is a premier, puck-moving defenseman. Chychrun has three years left on an extremely team-friendly deal, carrying a cap hit of just $4.6 million. While Arizona was in no rush to move him previously, he does have a modified no-trade clause that kicks in at the start of the 2023-24 season and runs for the last two years of his deal.
The Coyotes asking price remains high, and rightfully so. The team has reportedly wanted a first-round pick, a high-end prospect and a young player in exchange for the blue liner. While a move now doesn't seem likely, look for Chychrun to once again be at the top of trade deadline target lists for contenders.
MORE: When does the NHL season start in 2022?
With that in mind, here are four teams that could make a move for the Coyotes defenseman.
Potential trade destinations for Jakob Chychrun
Ottawa Senators
A few months ago, you could not truly consider the Senators a contender. But after trading for Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot, and signing Claude Giroux in free agency, the team has an exciting future ahead.
It makes almost too much sense for the Senators to be the destination for Chychrun.
For starters, Ottawa desperately needs help on the blue line. While GM Pierre Dorion bolstered the forward group and acquired Talbot to be the starting goaltender, defense remains a concern. In return, the Senators have a number of intriguing prospects that the Coyotes should be interested in, including Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
One of the deciding factors for any team trying to trade for Chychrun is going to be cap space, however, that shouldn't be an issue for Ottawa. According to CapFriendly, the team is entering the 2022-23 season with just under $5.7 million available, which would be enough to fit Chychrun's $4.6 million cap hit.
While adding Chychrun would help out their blue line immensely, it is adding another left shot to a group that consists of Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom and Jake Sanderson. The more significant concern is on the right, but someone could get flipped over to play on their off hand. Regardless, adding Chychrun to the Senators gives them another quality, young piece to their organization and more importantly, makes them an even stronger contender.
Columbus Blue Jackets
There have been a few teams tied to Chychrun over the last year and change, but perhaps no one has gotten closer to a done deal than the Blue Jackets.
It was reported that Columbus tried to get a trade completed with Arizona at the 2022 NHL Draft. According to PHNX Sports' Craig Morgan, multiple sources confirmed that a deal was discussed at the time, but nothing came of it. This follows in line with The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch later reporting that an agreement was in place, but eventually fell through for unknown reasons.
So could Columbus make another run at Chychrun? It's possible. They are not necessarily one of the playoff contenders, but after signing Johnny Gaudreau in free agency, there may be an appeal there for Chychrun.
MORE: Flames coach Darryl Sutter makes dig at Matthew Tkachuk
The Blue Jackets don't have two first-rounders in the 2023 draft like they did this past summer, but they still have a number of good prospects to offer up, such as Kirill Marchenko or Denton Mateychuk, or a young rostered player like Emil Bemstrom. While I think the team missed their shot at Chychrun at the draft, if they are contenders by the trade deadline, they could push for him again.
Los Angeles Kings
I've always thought that the Kings would be a perfect match to work out a trade with the Coyotes. Los Angeles is bubbling with prospects and made the playoffs last year. They look to be out of the rebuild and ready to contend.
Los Angeles' blue line doesn't bolster a ton of star power outside of Drew Doughty. The left side currently consists of veteran Alex Edler and youngsters Mikey Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot. If Chychrun were to come in, he would immediately be their best left-handed defenseman.
Looking at the prospects, the Kings have a number of options to offer up in a deal. Alex Turcotte hasn't turned out to be quite what the Kings expected when they took him No. 5 overall in the 2019 draft, but he still has appeal. Jordan Spence or Rasmus Kupari could be included in a deal. Looking at young roster players, someone like Arthur Kaliyev could be considered as well.
Currently, the Kings have a roster that is capable of making the playoffs, but I don't think anyone sees them as a legit Cup contender. Adding Chychrun would put them one step closer to getting there. With limited cap space, the Kings would have to make a corresponding move or send another contract to Arizona to work out a deal.
New York Islanders
Out of any of the teams on this list, the Islanders are the ones that would see their Cup odds increase the most by adding Chychrun. New York's roster is about the same as the one that was one game away from the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 and collectively the group is out to prove last year's playoff miss was a fluke.
Adding the Coyotes defenseman would give the Isles a top four that consists of Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Noah Dobson and Chychrun. That's as good of a group as you will find, and give the Islanders another puck-moving defenseman that the team has been lacking.
MORE: NHL 2022-23 preseason schedule
Now, GM Lou Lamoriello may not be inclined to deal for another young, left-handed defenseman after trading for Alexander Romanov on draft day. It's also a trade that cost the Isles a first-round pick, so again, Lamoriello may be hesitant to trade another top pick away.
It's not just Lamoriello that could hold back on a trade. The Isles don't have a ton of prospects to offer to the Coyotes, who would likely target top prizes like Aatu Raty, William Dufour or Simon Holmstrom. In addition, the Islanders only have about $2.3 million in cap space. While adding Chychrun makes sense for New York, it likely is not a feasible one.
