Coyotes to scratch Chychrun again, won't play this week
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The Coyotes will scratch defenceman Jakob Chychrun for the remainder of the week, beginning Monday in Nashville against the Predators, head coach Andre Tourigny said, per Todd Walsh of Bally Sports Arizona.
Chrchrun was first made a healthy scratch ahead of Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues for "trade related reasons." He currently sits No. 2 on TSN's Trade Bait Board.
The 24-year-old has registered seven goals and 21 assists in 36 games this season, his seventh with the Coyotes.
Trade speculation has followed the blueliner for more than year, with Chychrun revealing 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.
“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.”
The Boca Raton, Fla., native is in the fourth year of a six-year, $27.6 million contract he signed in 2018 which carries a cap hit of $4.6 million. The final two years of the deal carry a modified no-trade clause.
Drafted 16th overall by the Coyotes in the 2016 NHL Draft, Chychrun has scored 60 goals and 170 points in 373 games over his career.
The Coyotes are second-last in the Central Division with 17-28-8 record and 37 points over 53 games.