Another week brings another round of trade rumors regarding Jakob Chychrun. The Arizona Coyotes defenseman remains the hot topic for media gossip given his request for a trade and the Coyotes’ reportedly high asking price of first-round picks and other future assets.
Chychrun, 24, has been frequently linked to the Ottawa Senators. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, however, they don’t want to part with players like center Shane Pinto, defenseman Jake Sanderson or prospect Ridly Greig.
Meanwhile, a couple of pundits believe Chychrun would be a good fit with another Ontario club.
Nick Kypreos suggested in his Toronto Star column that the Toronto Maple Leafs could land Chychrun without parting with currently-sidelined defenseman Jake Muzzin or prospect Matthew Knies. He said the Coyotes informed the Leafs and Senators that a deal could be built around two first-round picks.
Kypreos felt the Coyotes would want one of Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren or Topi Niemela as part of the return. To make the dollars fit, they would have to take on Alex Kerfoot and his $3.5-million cap hit if Nick Robertson plays well for the Leafs in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Postmedia’s Michael Traikos proposed the Leafs offer up Robertson and a 2023 first-round pick as well as Kerfoot if Muzzin isn’t out for the season. He acknowledged Robertson’s potential as a top-six forward but felt the Leafs are already well-stocked at those positions while their defense is a more pressing need.
The Coyotes, meanwhile, await Chychrun’s return from off-season wrist surgery. Interested clubs will likely wait until he’s played a sufficient number of games to alleviate concerns about his condition before making any offers. Time will tell if the Leafs are among them.
