Everyone knows the Arizona Coyotes are in a full-fledged rebuild, and that the biggest name said to be available is young star defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
And he could be on the move sooner than later.
A highly-gifted two-way defenseman on a team-friendly contract, it will take a massive package to pry Chychrun away from the desert. But SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated (perhaps from an informed standpoint) that the 23-year-old could be traded soon.
“I think that’s probably the first big deal of 2022 is Chychrun,” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Friedman indicated that he doesn’t think the Oilers will be the team that lands him, a somewhat surprising development given their dreadful blue line beyond Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard. Plus, seeing as their goaltending situation is a mess, the Oilers could use all the help they can get to stabilize their defense.
Chychrun is having a modest year offensively, posting just two goals and five assists through 26 games. That comes after he put up 18 goals and 23 assists last season in 56 games. Still, he’s a highly useful defensive player with a $4.6 million cap hit signed through the 2024-25 season.
The Coyotes seem destined to be the biggest seller at the deadline this season. Chychrun being the first domino to fall could open the floodgates league-wide well in advance of the March 21 trade deadline.
