Jakob Chychrun trade watch: Co...

Jakob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes will sit out until his team can locate a trade partner. Chychrun has been on the trading block for the whole 2022-23 season, and the Coyotes are hoping to get rid of him before the March 3 deadline. The 24-year-old has two years left on his deal, which pays him $4.6 million each season, but he has made it obvious that he does not want to stay with the Coyotes in the long run.

The Coyotes are reportedly wanting two first-round selections plus a top prospect in exchange for Chychrun, though this asking price might alter as the deadline approaches. Monday's game against the Nashville Predators will be Arizona's second consecutive game without him due to "trade-related issues." In 36 games this season, Chychrun has seven goals and 21 assists. He is regarded the finest defenseman available ahead of the trade deadline, so here's the latest on the valued Coyotes player, who can play both sides of the ice.

Kings enter the sweepstakes but reach impasse with Coyotes

It briefly appeared over the weekend that Chychrun would be on the move to the Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles boasts one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL and has plenty of assets Arizona would covet as it surely enters another prolonged rebuild with the hope of landing a top pick from this summer’s banner draft class.

It was rumoured that Brandt Clarke, the eighth-overall selection from the 2021 Draft, would be the centerpiece of any Kings deal for Chychrun. This idea has been refuted by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who reported on an impasse between both the Kings and Coyotes, while noting that a trade hasn’t been ruled out.

Is Chychrun worth a king’s ransom?

Chychrun is a 24-year-old defender capable of logging top-pair minutes, has two years of team control, and is capable at both ends of the ice. These qualities alone would make him worthy of the interest he’s commanded all season. A top-pair defenseman entering his prime rarely hits the trade market and top contenders ought to pounce.

Chychrun has logged 663:04 minutes at 5-on-5 this season over the course of 36 games and has posted a career-best 50.41 Corsi For percentage, per Natural Stat Trick. He’s been on the ice for 35 goals for versus 25 against. Chychrun has been primarily paired alongside Shayne Gostisbehere, logging 525:14 at 5-on-5, making them the 19th most-used defensive duo in the NHL. Chychrun-Gostisbehere have posted some underwhelming underlying numbers, though: 49 percent Corsi, 45.7 percent expected goals, while being on the ice for 28 goals versus 19 against.

This last figure might be the most informative. Plus-minus is a functionally meaningless number, but when you're playing on a losing team, it's evident that Chychrun would benefit immediately from stronger linemates. He's averaging more over 23 minutes per game, and if he joins a contender, he'll almost surely see his workload reduced while being given more room to thrive offensively.

Chychrun possesses a cannon of a shot, is an underestimated skater and playmaker, and any of the Bruins, Maple Leafs, Oilers, or Kings would be significantly better if he joined them before the deadline.