No offers have met the team’s valuation so far.
It’s clear that there is interest in Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, but the team is sensible to hold out on any trade offers that do not reach their valuation.
With the Coyotes undergoing a lengthy, thorough rebuild, there have been an influx of new faces and a swath of departures from fan favorites and long-time players, including former captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland.
Jakob Chychrun is the latest Coyote at the forefront of trade rumors and talks, with the 24-year-old blueliner attracting plenty of attention from around the league – and why wouldn’t he?
Chychrun is at the very least a top-four defenseman in the NHL and has averaged over 20 minutes a game every year since his second season in the league – racking up 142 points (53 goals, 89 assists) in 337 regular season games.
He has 498 blocks and 442 hits to go along with his offensive production, showing that he is not afraid to put his body on the line to help his team each and every night he steps onto the ice.
He is the kind of player that any team around the league would love to have, especially a team that believes they are a contender or ready to contend for the foreseeable future, and that means that the Coyotes know his services are worth a high return.
Craig Morgan spoke on a recent PHNX Coyotes Podcast and stated that, despite what may be out there in both social and mainstream media, the team has not yet received an offer that meets what they believe the player is worth.
This value is believed to involve first-round picks, prospects, and existing NHL players, and for the Coyotes, they should settle for nothing less than what they demand.
Chychrun is locked into his exceptionally team-friendly $4.6 million AAV contract for three more seasons, including the upcoming 2022-23 campaign, and will continue to play a vital role on the rebuilding Coyotes for the duration if no deal comes to fruition.
Keeping Chychrun around could pay off when the team starts to see their top young talents emerge, with Chychrun still young enough to have an impact on a team that could be truly exciting in a couple of years.
If, however, another team in the NHL is willing to give the Coyotes the wealth of assets they expect, then something will happen – and the assets will be put to good use towards the rebuild, with general manager Bill Armstrong going the right way about developing the team through the draft.
The Ottawa Senators are believed to be particularly keen on adding Chychrun, and any look on social media will see how much the fanbase wants him. With Pierre Dorion already showing a willingness to make a splash, the Coyotes could find their trade partner ready and waiting.
But, only if commensurate value is sent back in return and the Coyotes can feel completely satisfied that their demands have been met – nothing less.