The Arizona Coyotes recently traded defenseman Jacob Chychrun to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The move was widely seen as an attempt by the Coyotes to jump start their rebuild, but it appears that trade may not have been worth it for them.
The “arizona nhl team” is one of the most successful franchises in all of professional sports. The Coyotes are no exception to this rule. They have won two Stanley Cups, and have been a contender for years. They have also only had three losing seasons since moving from Winnipeg in 1996. This makes it difficult to imagine that they would trade their first round draft pick Jakob Chychrun without getting a significant return on him.
Since the end of last season, the Arizona Coyotes have begun a rebuilding process, trading important players for future assets. Christian Dvorak, Conor Garland, Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were among the players moved away in exchange for draft selections and young prospects.
The Coyotes are likely not done selling off parts with the NHL trade deadline approaching in a few months and several major stars left on their weakened roster. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun, on the other hand, is a guy the Coyotes must be cautious about moving on from.
Chychrun, 23, is in his sixth season with the Coyotes and leads the team in ice time per game. His name has been mentioned in trade speculations more recently, as almost any club in the league would be pleased to add him to their defense.
Obviously, the Coyotes might receive a good return for the defense, which could indicate that the rebuilding process is being sped up. Chychrun is a great bargain given his $4.6 million cap charge, plus he’s under contract through 2025, so clubs would be prepared to spend a lot to obtain him.
While a quality defender and a rebuilding club aren’t necessarily a good match, there may be more reasons to keep Chychrun than to move him.
When considering a trade for Chychrun, keep in mind that the Coyotes, who are also dealing with other challenges, are likely to aspire to be competitive again in three or four years, based on the average rebuilding time.
As previously stated, Chychrun is not in his late twenties with a contract that is about to expire. Given his age, he should still be able to play almost a decade of good hockey. There’s also his contract situation to consider, since he’ll be up for a new deal around the time the club hopes to compete (perhaps 2025), but we’ll get to that later.
Assume the Coyotes opt to transfer Chychrun right now in exchange for a bundle of future assets. They’re probably setting themselves up for a problem down the future by doing so. They’d have to find a means to replace Chychrun in a few years to prevent further postponing their timeframe to stay competitive now that he’s gone.
Because Arizona hasn’t been known for enticing free agents in the past, the team’s choices for filling the vacuum Chychrun leaves in the defense would be limited if he were to be dealt now. The Coyotes would essentially hope that one of their draft selections turns out to be a player of his quality, or trade a package of future assets worth about the same as the return they’d get for him in a few years to obtain another elite defense. Whatever happens, there’s a significant probability it’ll be a sideways shift for the company.
His contract situation, on the other hand, is something to think about. By the time his current contract ends, he’ll be 27 years old, and he’ll almost certainly demand a large extension. However, if the Coyotes believe he is willing to stay long-term, they should not trade him until they can obtain a huge return.
But what exactly would it entail?
The Coyotes have amassed a sizable number of draft selections at this stage. While draft selections must be included in the deal, they should not be the main attraction. If Chychrun is traded to a contender, the draft selections the Coyotes get will almost certainly be late first-rounders, which means the chances of them developing into a player of Chychrun’s level are slim.
The Coyotes would need at least one prospect who they believe would eventually provide the same value as Chychrun provides now, but in three or four years. That’s not easy to come by, and in fact, few athletes are guaranteed to play a certain position in an NHL team.
After that, premium draft selections and/or other prospects should be added so that, in addition to breaking even with a fantastic prospect, the Coyotes now have a potential to acquire an extra crucial player or two, depending on how they employ those additional assets.
It narrows the market for a trading partner, since Chychrun would have to go to a club that is confident enough in its ability to compete right now that it is prepared to sell its top prospect, as well as one or more high draft selections. However, if he is moved, the Coyotes will need that in exchange.
Given Chychrun’s importance to the club and the potential value he may provide in the future, any transaction involving the defense must be approached with great care. The Coyotes don’t need to move Chychrun right now, but they do need to know that if they do, they’ll receive a good return. If that isn’t a possibility, just having him around would put them in a better position.
