Apprehension Among Teams Looking at Jakob Chychrun Trade

During the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, the panel took a look at a few names that rumored to be out there in trade talks. Among them, Darren Dreger offered an update on the situation in Arizona as it pertains to defenseman Jakob Chychrun.

He notes that there is interest picking up in the blueliner now that he’s back on the ice and playing, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a trade is imminent. He notes that many of the same teams are kicking tires and that there is pressure starting to build on GMs who know they need to make moves. At the same time, there’s still some concern over trading a number of assets to acquire Chychrun, who has only played well in a small sample size since returning from injury.

Dreger reports that Chychrun has played in seven games and has six points. He’s eating minutes, he’s got size, he’s shooting the puck like crazy and it would make sense teams would be paying more attention. Despite all of that, he also notes, “I still think there’s apprehension among clubs with the most interest to pay the price that Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong is looking for.”

The question becomes, what gives first? Dreger notes, “I think there’s also a group of teams that are getting to a point that they realize they may have to [make a move].” If that’s the case for a few teams, things will get interesting.

How Far to The Coyotes Push?

What’s also intriguing about all of this is when you look at it from a Coyote’s perspective. There was interest in Chychrun when he was injured. Now that he’s back and playing well, that interest will increase. But, how long do the Coyotes hold out for their asking price and how close will they make teams come before moving the player? There is always a chance he regresses and/or gets injured again.

It might be wise for the Coyotes to make that move as soon as another team gets close to the asking price.

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