Jakob Chychrun has been the subject of NHL trade rumors since last season. In September, the 24-year-old defenseman told reporters that he and Arizona Coyotes management agreed a trade would be best for both sides.
A talented puck-moving blueliner, Chychrun carries an average annual salary of $4.6 million through 2024-25. He also lacks no-trade protection until next season, when he'll submit a 10-team no-trade list.
Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong could attempt to move him before then. On Sept. 29, TSN's Darren Dreger reported Armstrong may have softened his asking price but still wants a first-round pick and a prospect as part of the return.
Dreger also indicated that a number of teams have some interest in Chychrun, listing the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets among them. However, he acknowledged several of them have salary-cap issues to navigate.
Finding the best fit for Chychrun during this season could be challenging. After spending his career thus far with the rebuilding Coyotes, he indicated in his Sept. 21 press conference that he wants to join a playoff contender.
While Chychrun carries a reasonable annual salary, finding a contender with sufficient cap room could be difficult with 23 of 32 NHL teams carrying less than $4.6 million in space for 2022-23. Interested clubs must also carry sufficient assets to meet Armstrong's price.
Taking these factors into account, here's our list of the five best fits for Chychrun this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets were linked to Chychrun during the 2022 draft in July. On Aug. 31, GOPHNX.com's Craig Morgan indicated that multiple sources said the Chychrun camp rejected a trade to Columbus, but the Jackets denied this.
It's uncertain how Chychrun could refuse a trade to the Blue Jackets since he lacks no-trade protection. Perhaps Armstrong was trying to accommodate the blueliner's desire to join a contender.
The week following the draft, the Blue Jackets stunned the hockey world by signing superstar winger Johnny Gaudreau to a long-term contract. Ten days later, they re-signed winger Patrik Laine to a four-year pact. Those moves could ensure the Jackets become a contender this season, which might make them more enticing to Chychrun.
With $1.5 million in cap space, the Jackets can't afford to take on Chychrun's cap hit unless they ship some salary to the Coyotes or make a separate cost-cutting move with another team. However, they'll have $6.5 million in trade-deadline cap room, making it possible to obtain him by deadline day on March 3.
The Jackets have Zach Werenski and Vladislav Gavrikov patrolling the left side of their first two defense pairings, but they could shift Chychrun to the right side. Gavrikov is also slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. If the Jackets can't re-sign him, Chychrun could slide into that second-pairing spot.
In addition to a first-round pick, the Jackets have an extra pick in the third and fourth rounds to use as trade chips. Their prospect pipeline contains defenseman David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Corson Ceulemans and forwards Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger. One or two of those youngsters could be attractive to the Coyotes.
Detroit Red Wings
Under general manager Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings have patiently rebuilt with promising young talent. Having acquired several veterans during the offseason such as David Perron, Ben Chiarot and Andrew Copp to bolster their roster, the Wings could become a playoff contender for the first time since 2016.
Chychrun would be an excellent addition to the young Wings. His ability to generate offense from the blue line could provide a boost to scorers such as Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Lucas Raymond and Jakub Vrana at even strength and in power-play situations.
The Wings have a future all-star defenseman in Moritz Seider and another skilled mobile rearguard in Filip Hronek on the right side of their blue line. The depth of talent on the left side, however, drops off beyond the recently signed Chiarot. Chychrun could skate alongside Seider on the top pairing or with Hronek on the second pairing.
Chychrun's contract wouldn't be an issue for the Wings. With a projected $8.2 million in salary-cap space for the coming season, the Red Wings can comfortably afford him.
The Red Wings also possess one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL. A young forward such as Marco Kasper, Joseph Veleno or Filip Zadina, or a defenseman such as William Wallinder could prove irresistible to the Coyotes as part of the trade package.