Arizona Coyotes Jakob Chychrun has looked great since returning from his wrist injury. Monday night was his first game played since March 12th. Chychrun was scoreless in the Coyotes shootout loss to the Predators but he managed to get an assist on Lawson Crouse’s second goal of the night against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
Chychrun has been subject to trade rumors going all the way back to last season and the rumors exploded during the offseason. Many expect his days in the desert to be numbered and for the Coyotes to ship him out before the NHL’s trade deadline on March 3rd.
I also asked Coyotes coach André Tourigny about working Chychrun & Schmaltz into what has been an effective PP:
— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) November 21, 2022
"It's a really good problem to have. Adding Schmaltzy and Chychrun to our power play, I think it creates competition in the lineup. To be honest, we have a lot...
The Florida native what many would consider a down year last season with 7 goals, 21 points in only 47 games. He was also a career worst -20 +/-. Last year aside, he had back-to-back career years the two prior seasons. He has scored 53 goals, 90 assists for 143 points in 339 NHL career games.
Those are fantastic totals for a defenseman.
Jakob Chychrun has 17 career goals on the power play for the Arizona Coyotes.
Chychrun has long been rumored to be traded to one of the three Canadian teams that are desperate for a quality defenseman; Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers & Ottawa Senators. The Maple Leafs in particularly are missing nearly all of their regular defenseman at the moment due to injuries.
The Oilers & Senators have also both struggled on the backend. A Chychrun trade before the Christmas break may be the most opportune time for the Coyotes. The 24-year-old defenseman should fetch the Coyotes at least one first round draft pick and potentially a few high-end prospects. According to multiple media reports though the Coyotes and General Manager Bill Armstrong are determined to get two first round draft picks.
Chychrun still has 2 years left on his 6-year deal that he signed in 2018 but after this season his modified no-trade clause kicks in and he gets to submit a 10 team no-trade list to the Coyotes. So, if he isn’t in the Coyotes plans for the future now is the time for General Manager Bill Armstrong to trade the young defenseman and maximize his value for assets.