Though it will be an uphill battle to chase down the five points and leap over the three teams necessary to reach the East’s second wild-card spot, the Ottawa Senators nevertheless were buyers Wednesday evening, shooting their shot and acquiring one of the best — and youngest — defencemen on the market.
Jakob Chychrun, on the trade board for at least a year and a half, was finally dealt out of Arizona, and immediately firms up what’s looking like an exciting core of Ottawa blueliners. Chychrun hasn’t played since Feb. 10 due to trade-related reasons, but now will be a big part in their run this season and the team’s future from here.
“A defenceman we’ve coveted, Jakob is big and plays imposing,” Sens GM Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “He possesses a quality skill set; he defends hard and is highly skilled. He uses his heavy shot with accuracy and is effective at creating offence as a threat at the offensive blue line.”
The price was entirely worth it, too.
The Coyotes had reportedly been after a package of two first-round picks or equal value for Chychrun, but in the end, will settle for one first and two seconds. Ottawa also took the full $4.6 million of Chychrun’s cap hit, which not every other suitor was willing to do, but is entirely affordable for to the Senators.
As the East’s big teams have made monumental moves in the past few days, Ottawa made a big statement in acquiring Chychrun, and position themselves to be an up-and-coming factor in the conference.
To get an idea of just how transformative Chychrun could be to the Senators, we turn to our scout Jason Bukala.
SCOUT’S ANALYSIS
Ottawa Receives
• Jakob Chychrun
The Senators have been looking to add to their defence corps for months, and land a potential top-pairing blueliner in this trade with Arizona.
Jakob Chychrun turns 25 at the end of March. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-shot defender is signed through 2024-25 with a $4.6 million cap hit.
Chychrun is a mobile, two-way defenceman who can be used in a variety of situations. The bulk of his minutes come at even strength and the power-play. He is capable of killing penalties if required, too.
On the power play he is proficient at finding “quiet ice” and presenting himself as an option coming through the slot, or working plays through back door seams. When he gets pucks in the middle of the ice, or walks off the half wall, he has a quick and accurate release to the net.
Chychrun is best defined as an “area” defender who has good jump to space in small areas. He relies on containing opponents to the outside more than being physically punishing. I describe him as a “bumper” who will sneak up on people occasionally and lay a big hit. He had 43 hits and 56 blocks in 36 games with the Coyotes this season.
Here’s a look at Chychrun’s stats in Arizona this season:
Arizona Receives
• Conditional 2023 first-rounder
• Conditional 2024 second-rounder
• Second-round pick in 2026
There’s a 50-contract limit for all organizations in the NHL. The Coyotes will eventually have to make some difficult decisions managing their assets as they mature.
Having said that, the more chances they get to hit on draft picks who become impact NHL players, the better their odds.
Here’s a look at the Coyotes’ draft grid for the next three cycles:
If all goes well in the desert, the Coyotes could be moving into a new building someday and have a very entertaining team to assist with filling the seats.
Conclusion
I’m not privy to insider information. I have no idea what was offered to Arizona over the last several months when they were speaking to teams about trading Jakob Chychrun.
Bill Armstrong is a savvy NHL executive. I’m sure this is what he felt was the best offer for Chychrun.
I do know this: The Ottawa Senators have filled out their top four defencemen for the foreseeable future following this trade. The Sens now have Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson as a solid core to lean on and build around moving forward.
The Senators are a better team as they wake up on Thursday morning, one day before the trade deadline, with still over $15 million dollars in available cap space.
