Coyotes want two first-round picks and a prospect for Chychrun
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The Jakob Chychrun trade watch is back on after the defenceman's return to the Arizona Coyotes blueline on Monday.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the price for the 24-year-old remains steep, with Arizona seeking three pieces back in a trade.
"It is a high price and listen, I think it's important to understand why Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong is asking for two first-round picks plus either a prospect or a young NHL player in any deal for Jakob Chychrun,' LeBrun said on Insider Trading Tuesday. "Number one, I think he's looked at the Hampus Lindholm deal from a year ago where Anaheim got a first-round pick and two seconds for an older player who was a pending UFA and ends up going to Boston, of course the Bruins signed him.
"There's the Brandon Hagel deal Chicago getting two first-round picks for Hagel because of his cheap cap and Chychrun is young. He's got a bargain contract. And if history shows us anything in terms of the Darcy Kuemper trade, where Arizona got a first and a young player and a third, Bill Armstrong is going to stick to his price."
Chychrun logged just over 23 minutes of ice time in season debut after previously being sidelined by a wrist injury. He had seven goals and 21 points in 47 games last season, his sixth with the Coyotes.
A first-round pick in 2016, Chychrun revealed in September that the Coyotes first approached him about a possible trade to a contender before last season and he took them up on the offer of potentially being moved to a contender.
“Throughout the start of last season, I had a lot of reflection time and some really, really emotional, hard reflections with my loved ones and family," he said "We ultimately decided to take them up on that offer and try to get moved on to a better situation.”
Chychrun had a career season with Arizona in 2020-21, scoring 18 goals and tallying 41 points in 56 games. In 337 career NHL games, he has 53 goals and 142 points.
He is in the fourth year of his six-year, $27.6 million contract with an average annual value of $4.6 million.