The Jakob Chychrun Trade That Works Best

This has been going on long enough. While the Arizona Coyotes have attempted to trade defenseman Jakob Chychrun for what seems like an eternity, he is still not gone yet. Various teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Islanders have all expressed interest. When all is said and done, the Chychrun trade that works the best is for him to become an Edmonton Oiler. He can win there.

Edmonton Oilers Should Acquire Chychrun

Let’s face it, the Oilers are a dominant offensive powerhouse. They score 3.65 goals a game which is third-best in the NHL. Now while they have no trouble scoring, they do have difficulty stopping their opponents. They have allowed 3.41 goals a game which is a mediocre 23rd in the league. They re-signed defenseman Darnell Nurse to a huge eight-year $74 million deal. The contract averages $11.1 million in base salary over the next four years. You might say the Oilers were placing all their defense eggs in one basket. And, guess what… it isn’t working out. While he’s not playing horribly, his five goals and 13 assists in 34 games hasn’t shown that he’s earned that type of salary.

This is where if the Oilers could swing a trade to get Chychrun, it would help Nurse out. Nurse is averaging just over 24 minutes a game, and needs some help. Chychrun is also no stranger to playing excessive minutes as he has averaged almost 21 minutes a game over his seven-year NHL career.

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Evaluating Chychrun’s Worth

He has a very affordable $4.6 million contract for two more years after this season. He is a top defenseman who can certainly carry the puck out of the defensive zone onto the sticks of forwards like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And speaking of those two talented players each won’t be around forever. McDavid’s contract expires after the 2025-26 season and Draisaitl’s a year earlier. If they want to win a Cup, the time is now to improve the team. General manager Ken Holland is hearing it from fans that the current team is not going to go far into the playoffs the way they are playing. Chychrun can help. He wants to go to a winner.

Much has been said about what GM Bill Armstrong wants in a return for Chychrun. It has changed a bit and now he is demanding a first-round pick and a top prospect, as well as a mid-level prospect and a pick in the third-to-fourth-round range. The Oilers can offer Philip Broberg, and they have a young forward Matvei Petrov who is tearing it up in the OHL. He has 51 goals and 78 assists in 94 games. He is just 19 years old but could fit right into the Coyotes’ rebuilding process.

It may be required that the Oilers include Jesse Puljujarvi, who has expressed his desire to play elsewhere. To sweeten the pot for Edmonton, the Coyotes could also throw in a disappointing Barrett Hayton in the deal. He has really struggled with just one goal, four assists in 31 games. He is earning $1.775 million through next season, and Puljujärvi has a $3 million cap hit through this season. Both of these players could use a change of scenery.

The Time to Act is Now

Given all the excessive interest in Chychrun, the Oilers shouldn’t delay. Another team may grab him and their chance to improve will fall by the wayside. They may also have an interest in acquiring Vladislav Gavrikov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. While he has a lower cap hit at $2.8 million, he will be an unrestricted free agent and would therefore only be a rental. The return for Gavrikov is said to be a first-round pick, as well as either a third or a fourth. He is also three years older than Chychrun.

So, if the Oilers are thinking of improving their defense and are tired of waiting on the development of Broberg, time is wasting. The NHL holiday trade freeze will end on December 28th. If I were Ken Holland, I’d keep Bill Armstrong’s phone number handy.

He may need it.