According to Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny, the next time Jakob Chychrun will suit up in the NHL, it will be on a new team. Saying Chychrun has been nothing less than a consummate professional, the defenseman will remain out of the lineup until the NHL Trade Deadline either passes and he’s still a part of the roster (highly unlikely) or he’s moved in a deal to one of a number of teams rumored to be highly interested in acquiring him.
Multiple NHL insiders have been discussing the Chychrun news. Elliotte Friedman noted on the Jeff Marek Show that the very active trade talks between the Los Angeles Kings and Coyotes have slowed, mostly because the two sides have hit a snag on which first-round equivalent prospect will go back in the deal. Speculation is that the Kings have squashed any chance that Quinton Byfield or Brandt Clarke would be included. They are apparently non-starters for the Kings. That said, Friedman thinks a deal will get done. He noted that the closer teams get to a deal the quieter teams are and right now all he’s hearing is silence. It’s certainly possible Chychrun still moves to LA.
Friedman also noted during Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Edmonton Oilers could potentially be one of these teams still in talks with Arizona about a deal, it sounds like they have been in and out but are likely back in the sweepstakes now. He also noted that the Oilers want a legit puck moved who can transport the puck out of the zone. They’re not looking for a shutdown defender or a depth piece as a priority. It sounds like a Chycrhun or Erik Karlsson-type defenseman is their target. It remains to be seen if they can get it done.
At this point, there have been so many conflicting reports with other teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins also being linked, no one really will know where Chychrun is going until he’s officially moved. And, up until the final moments, there could be more than one team connected to the rumors.
One of the things that could be holding this up is the money. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggests the Coyotes have let it be known they are willing to retain some salary in this deal to get the return up to the level they’d like to see come back to the team in terms of assets and prospects. If accurate, that could add more teams to the mix that weren’t active in trade discussions just a couple of days ago.
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