Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun Earns NHL Roster Spot
The Arizona Coyotes finished trimming their roster today to meet the final 23-man limit. Eighteen year-old first round draft pick Jakob Chychrun was among five rookies earning a coveted spot on the team.
Arizona Coyotes 2016 first round draft pick Jakob Chychrun said he had every intention of making the team.
He made it clear that it wasn’t just training camp talk. He was there to impress coaches and teammates, and had no desire to head back to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting.
NHL or bust.
Now it seems that his confidence and dedication has paid off.
Jakob Chychrun has made the Arizona Coyotes opening night roster.
On Saturday evening, Chychrun’s name will be called to the delight of the crowd when the Arizona Coyotes open the season at Gila River Arena against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Chychrun is one of 23 Coyotes players on the franchise’s final roster announced today. The NHL-imposed deadline for all teams was at 2:00 PM this afternoon.
Chychrun deserves this. He’s earned it.
The addition of Chychrun, standing at 6’2”, 205 pounds, means a vastly improved blue-line from just a year ago. The addition of free-agent veteran Alex Goligoski further solidifies a once porous defense.
The Yotes defensive line-up could be in flux as the season kicks off.
Defenseman Michael Stone is just beginning to take contact after recovering from his knee surgery. Fellow blue-liner Kevin Connauton is also recovering from a lower-body injury.
Both will start the season on injured reserve.
Eventually the defensive pairings for the Coyotes will include Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Connor Murphy on the first line, and likely Goligoski with Stone on the second line.
A combination of lefthanders Chychrun and Connauton, along with right-handers Luke Schenn and Jamie McBain, will initially comprise the remaining pairings.
Zbynek Michalek, who remains with the organization after clearing waivers, also provides some flexibility.
The Coyotes coaching staff is certainly energized by Chychrun’s attitude, maturity, and skillful play. Fans are just as impressed, and have been cheering for the young blue-liner since the NHL Draft in June.
At the draft, Coyotes GM John Chayka traded the 20th and 53rd picks, along with forward Joe Vitale, to the Detroit Red Wings. In exchange, the Coyotes received Pavel Datsyuk’s salary cap hit, and Detroit’s 16th overall pick.
This enabled the Yotes to move up to grab Chychrun.
Chayka said he was targeting the youngster from the beginning. The Arizona Coyotes also drafted forward Clayton Keller at number seven. Keller will be spending this season playing for Boston University.
Arizona Coyotes management received high marks this year for its drafting prowess.
Now that Chychrun has solidified his roster spot to start the season, the question remains how long he’ll stick with the team. Very few defenseman his age get the opportunity to start right away in the NHL, and even fewer stay all season.
Fans refer to recent 2014 1st overall draft pick Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers, as well as 2015 5th overall pick Noah Hanifin of the Carolina Hurricanes, as success stories for draftees making successful leaps to the NHL.
It will take several months to measure his impact, and see how Chychrun is holding up to the rigors of a grueling NHL season.
Consequently, the Arizona Coyotes do have some options as the year moves on.
Chychrun can stay on the roster for the month of October and not sacrifice the first year on his entry-level contract. If he’s playing at a high level, the team can opt to keep him on the roster for the entire season.
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If he begins to falter, he can be moved down before the 40th game to preserve an extra year before the blue-liner’s eligibility for free agency.
For now, it’s all about the excitement of Chychrun earning his place on a Coyotes team poised for the future.