Well, the cat is out of the bag. Jakob Chychrun recently shared that he still wants to be traded from the Arizona Coyotes. This may come as a bit of a surprise for some fans as someone from Chychrun’s camp supposedly nixed a trade to Columbus during the draft.
Now, the question for Bill Armstrong is whether he should trade or not trade this talented, elite defenseman.
Reasons Not to Trade Chychrun
It is undeniable that Chyrchrun is a skilled player that boost any team’s defense. Chychrun can play on the left or right side and possesses fantastic speed, stick skills, and size. Basically, he’s a solid shutdown defenseman who can put up solid numbers. In six seasons, 337 GP with Arizona, Chychrun posted 53G- 89A-142P in addition to 442 hits and 498 blocked shots. Given his talent and potential, Chychrun is entering year 4 of a reasonable and fair six-year contract (something that isn’t quite common these days) that has a $4.6 million cap hit. There is a long list of teams who are up against the cap and would do anything for a contract and player like Chychrun.
Aside from Chychrun’s skill and talent, this may not be the time to trade Chychrun. Remember how the Buffalo Sabres were trying to trade a player called Jack Eichel last year and many teams were concerned about conducting a trade because of Eichel’s health, disk replacement surgery, and playing capabilities post-surgery? Similar situation here, Chychrun is currently on the team’s IR and hasn’t played since March. It’s always a large gamble when a team trades for an injured player. Thus, the Coyotes may not receive the value in return if an unhealthy Chychrun is traded.
Reasons to Trade Chychrun
As mentioned in a previous post, it is essential for the Coyotes to have committed and dedicated players who want to be here and win. This attitude is essential to create a positive, constructive team atmosphere. Chychrun’s desire to leave does not help the Yotes create the culture necessary for the team to succeed in the future.
If Chychrun were to be traded, younger defensemen like Conor Timmins and Janis Moser can fill Chychrun’s void and gain more playing experience. This will be huge especially if management wants Timmins and Moser to develop and be a future cornerstone of the Coyotes’ bluelines for the soon-to-come glory days.
Conclusion
Ideally, the Jakob Chychrun situation should be handled similar to how Joe Sakic managed the Matt Duchene trade in 2017. Chychrun should get healthy and play some good hockey for Arizona. Hopefully, after some games by Chychrun, underperforming or playoff teams looking to booster their defense as a result of poor performance and injuries inquire about Chychrun. This will ultimately increase the value and return of a Chychrun trade and help secure a win for both sides. This season is the perfect time for this trade to happen as Chychrun has a modified no-trade clause that comes into effect in the 2023/24 NHL season.
The Morning Skate 