Defenseman Jakob Chychrun is about to be traded by the Arizona Coyotes. He was even dropped from training on Monday to avoid injury.
The Coyotes would demand a jackpot in return: two first-round picks and a prospect, according to information from Bruce Garrioch, of the daily Ottawa Sun. The most serious rumors send Chychrun to the Los Angeles Kings.
Chychrun is very attractive for a competitive team. He is only 24 (he will turn a quarter of a century on March 31); he has amassed 90 points in 139 games over the past three seasons; he is under contract for two more years at a salary of 4.6 million.
But this first-round pick, 16e in total, in 2016, is also often injured. This year again, he missed 18 games and 35 the previous season.
Since the start of his career, this 6-foot-2, 220-pound colossus has missed 27% of Coyotes games. And it will not get any younger.
Chychrun is also associated with the failures of this organization, much like Jack Eichel could be in Buffalo, or Taylor Hall in Edmonton. In six seasons, he made the playoffs only once in Arizona.
He obviously isn’t responsible for the gaffes of former general manager John Chayka, but he does have some accountability, if only minimal, in the inability to build a winning culture. The Coyotes aren’t looking to trade him for nothing, after all.
Courtiers of Chychrun should also review recent history to avoid falling into such a trap. The last two clubs to give the moon to acquire a top defender still in the prime of life soon regretted it.
In June 2021, Chicago offered its best defense prospect, Adam Boqvist, a 2021 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick to Seth Jones, a 2021 late first-round pick and a sixth-round pick in 2022.
The Hawks had just finished at 21e rank in the general classification, five points behind Rangers and 15e place, and believed they were ready to take the next step.
They crumbled miserably, to the point where the 2022 first-round pick became a sixth overall pick. Columbus drafted right-handed defenseman David Jiricek, 19, 24 points in 28 American League games this season.
Boqvist, 22, still has some learning to do to become a top defenseman, and he’s been injured for most of the season but has 32 points in 73 games since joining Columbus.
Drafted at 12e rank with the 2021 first round pick, Cole Sillinger surprised by hanging on to the NHL at just 18 last year, and even getting 31 points, including 16 goals, but he seems a victim of the jinx of the second year this winter. He’s only 19 though and currently plays on a second line with Kent Johnson and Patrik Laine.
To retain Seth Jones, Chicago granted him an eight-year contract at an annual salary of 9.5 million. Without taking anything away from the immense talent of Jones, 28, he no longer fits in Chicago in a context of reconstruction.
The San Jose Sharks went through the same thing when they acquired Erik Karlsson in September 2018. His arrival marked the Sharks’ decline.
They reached the four aces the first year, but then collapsed and missed the playoffs in three consecutive springs since, and will miss them again this year, after a domination of fifteen years in season. regular.
In the end, Ottawa will have gotten their number one center, Josh Norris, Tim Stützle (drafted third overall with the 2020 first-round pick), 20-year-old goaltender Leevi Meriläinen, drafted with the third-round pick obtained for Dylan Demelo (acquired in the original trade), 19-year-old Zack Ostapchuk, drafted with the Sharks’ 2021 second-round pick, and goaltender Mads Sögaard (draft 37e rank after trading the 44e Sharks overall pick and 83e choice to advance seven ranks).
Karlsson finally found the momentum of the good old days this winter, at 32, with 73 points in 54 games, but in a losing cause since the Sharks have been rebuilding for a few seasons. The new GM will likely get some return on investment by trading Karlsson by the trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers are reportedly interested.
Another oft-injured defender is Karlsson. Good for the Sharks if a team is willing to give up a first-round pick and a top young player for his services…
A Quebec goalkeeper covered in glory in Boston
Devon Levi, from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, has just led Northeastern to triumph at the famous Beanpot featuring the four best college teams in the Boston area: Harvard, Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern.
Levi was named the tournament’s MVP and the Canadiens’ defense prospect, Jayden Struble, had an assist in a 3-2 win over Harvard in the final. Another CH prospect, Sean Farrell, added an assist to his season record. He now has 42 points in just 25 games and should join the Canadiens by the end of the season.
The 21-year-old Huskies goaltender is enjoying a sensational career in the NCAA. He has a save rate of .930 this winter, .952 the season before. Seventh-round pick, 212e in 2020 (out of 217 players drafted), Levi was central to the Sam Reinhart trade to Florida. The Sabers also got a first-round pick, 26e in total, in 2022, and drafted Jiri Kulich.
Levi will try to prove to NHL organizations that 6-foot goaltenders can get the job done, too. At 5-foot-11, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators is already contributing to the 6-and-under goaltender rating.