The NHL offseason is truly beginning to heat up, with a flurry of movement taking place ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft. Amid key decisions and moves involving John Klingberg, Alex DeBrincat, Kevin Fiala, and Darcy Kuemper, among others, there's been plenty of talk regarding a possible trade for talented Coyotes right defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
The Coyotes' 24-year-old has long been a trade candidate and it's wholly possible that a deal gets done early on in the offseason. There are plenty of teams who could use a player of his caliber at left defense, and he could reasonably slot in as a first-line defender in most organizations.
Chychrun signed a six-year, $27.6 million deal with the Yotes back in 2019, and he'll remain under contract through the 2024-25 season, after which he'll hit unrestricted free agency. He's due to make $14.4 million in base salary over the next three seasons, though that amount of team control at that cost will make him an expensive trade target.
Still, there are plenty of teams who will be actively engaged in trade talks for Chychrun, and these three teams represent his best trade destinations during the 2022 NHL offseason.
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Jakob Chychrun Trade Destinations
The Toronto Maple Leafs should be looking to improve defensively by any means necessary this offseason. Already boasting a potent offense, keeping opponents off the scoresheet has been something of a struggle for Toronto. The Leafs aren't exactly shallow defensively, but Chychrun would be a significant upgrade to the right side, where he could reasonably slot in on the first-line ahead of TJ Brodie.
Chychrun's youth would be incredibly intriguing for the Maple Leafs. He'd fit in excellently with the timelines of stars Auston Matthews (24), Mitchell Marner (25), and William Nylander (25), and could be a long-term fit for when the 38-year-old Mark Giordano moves on.
The Senators showed they're ready to contend by trading for Alex DeBrincat in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, they'll look to further upgrade their defense. Jakob Chychrun, who is the same age as DeBrincat (24), would be a perfect fit for this up-and-coming Senators team. While they just offloaded some key draft capital to acquire DeBrincat, they still have plenty of young assets with which they could entice Arizona in a potential trade.
The Senators are ready to make the jump towards the playoffs, and getting a talented defender like Chychrun in the mix ahead of what has the makings of a critical season would be hugely beneficial for the young squad. They already have solid players on the right side of their defense, but Chychrun's age and contract make him a great fit in Ottawa.
With Torey Krug's future uncertain, the St. Louis Blues could look to replace him with Chychrun. There are some key changes set to come to St. Louis this offseason, with Krug likely headed towards the exit door and Vladimir Tarasenko all but certain to follow. That will leave the Blues with some money to work with and holes to fill, both offensively and defensively.
Chychrun could help replace Krug on the right side of the defense and could stick around during a rebuilding phase if the Blues opt to go that route. St. Louis had links to Chychrun at the trade deadline, and now they could look to swing a deal during the offseason seeing as the 24-year-old remains available.
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