3 teams that need to trade for Jakob Chychrun right now
After what felt like years of being involved in trade rumors, Jakob Chychrun was finally traded away from the Arizona Coyotes with the Ottawa Senators acquiring him at the trade deadline last season.
Chychrun was seen as a player who'd help an Ottawa team on the rise win now while also being an instrumental foundational piece for the future. Unfortunately, things haven't gone to plan at all. The Senators missed out on the playoffs last season and things have somehow gotten worse this season with Ottawa having just 53 points in 59 games. The Senators are in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference and have been one of the worst teams in the NHL all season.
The Senators turning around and trading Chychrun one year after acquiring him wouldn't be the best look, but it's their best way to build for the future. They can get a solid haul for the defenseman who won't be a free agent until after the 2024-25 season. If Ottawa does trade him, these three teams would make a lot of sense.
3) The Wild need to trade for Jakob Chychrun right now
It's been a disappointing season for the Minnesota Wild who have just 64 points in 62 games and are eight points out of the playoff picture. It's definitely unlikely that the Wild make the playoffs this season, but trading for Chychrun would give them a great piece to help them make it there next season and potentially do some damage.
The Wild were dealt a big blow when their captain, Jared Spurgeon, suffered a season-ending injury. Losing Spurgeon obviously impacted their chances, but it also opened up the opportunity for Minnesota to swing a deal for Chychrun. Spurgeon's absence means the Wild can exceed the cap by his $7.75 million cap hit, which is more than enough to fit Chychrun into the mix.
They can acquire Chychrun now to take some pressure off of rookie Brock Faber while also giving the team a chance to pull off an unlikely run to the playoffs. The worst case scenario would be them missing the playoffs, but in that case, the Wild would still have him next season.
The Wild would probably not want to part with their first-round pick considering their long-shot odds of getting to the playoffs, but they do have a solid pool of prospects that could interest Ottawa.