The Arizona Coyotes unloaded another top player before the NHL trade deadline, sending defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa sends Arizona a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick to Arizona.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Jakob for everything he has done for the Coyotes on and off the ice over the past seven seasons,” said GM Bill Armstrong.
“Jacob is a wonderful person, a true professional and classy, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
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Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun gets ready during a game against the Minnesota Wild at Mullett Arena, Feb. 6, 2023, in Tempe, Ariz. (Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Senators are trying to make a playoff push. They sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division at 30-26-4, and the 24-year-old Chychrun is a nice piece to shore up their back end.
Chychrun is no stranger to trade rumors, and they’ve been swirling around him for more than a year as Arizona continues to struggle. He was a bright spot on the team that drafted him 16th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
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By going into full rebuild mode — Arizona traded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere earlier Wednesday — the Senators jumped at the chance to land a young talent who won’t become a free agent until 2025.
Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun skates with the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the United Center, Feb. 10, 2023, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“A defenseman we’ve been craving, Jakob is big and plays big,” Senators GM Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “He has a quality skill set, defends hard and is very skilled. He uses his heavy shot with precision and is effective in creating offense as a threat on the offensive blue line.”
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At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Chychrun has a prototypical defenseman build and uses it to his advantage near the boards and around the net. Although the Coyotes haven’t fared well, he is plus-8 in 36 games with seven goals and 21 assists this season.
Chychrun will likely pair with Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson, while Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub remain atop the defensive line.
Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at the United Center, Feb. 10, 2023, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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That could change quickly depending on how Chychrun acclimates to the team.