Detroit Red Wings: A Jakob Chychrun trade is worth exploring

Brace yourselves; the Jakob Chychrun saga with the Detroit Red Wings will continue in 2022-23. While the 24-year-old defenseman has never logged a game in a Red Wings jersey, he has been tied to the organization in more ways than one.

The Detroit Red Wings missed out on Chychrun during the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. They made a trade with the Arizona Coyotes to offload the contract of Pavel Datsyuk, winding up with the Red Wings coming away with Dennis Cholowski with their 2016 first-rounder.

That’s not all; last year, at the trade deadline, when the Coyotes were deemed to be selling off assets, Chychrun was one of the pieces expected to be on the trade block. The Red Wings were reportedly trying to acquire him before the deadline.

Now, as the calendar flips to December, the reports seem to be the same as in 2021-22. The Red Wings were labeled as possible suitors for Chychrun last year; why not consider him for the team’s defense core once again in 2022-23?

Detroit Red Wings need to consider trading for Jakob Chychrun.

Chychrun has the makings of a top-four defender. He’s a 6-foot-2, 211-pound defender with a left-handed shot. He may not be tapping into the offense he could have on a contender. Then again, he’s playing for the Coyotes, who are about as abysmal as they come when it comes to struggling NHL teams.

The Coyotes locked down Chychrun to a six-year, $27.6 million contract before the start of the 2019-20 season. He takes home $4.6 million a season and is under contract through the next two seasons before becoming a free agent after the 2024-25 season.

This is also the last season before Chychrun gets to submit a 10-team no-trade clause in each of the final two seasons of his contract. Not that he would surely have Detroit on the list, but it is even more of a reason for Arizona to move him.

Chychrun was not healthy to start the season but has since returned; he has gotten right back to it and has been a producer on the scoresheet. He has logged eight games while scoring three goals and adding four assists for seven total points.

Before that, in 2021-22, Chychrun played in 47 games before having to have surgery on his ankle, where he managed seven goals and 14 assists for 21 total points.

It’s no shock that the team is willing to move him, as this had already been discussed with him before last season, but with talks heating up again, it’s time for the Red Wings to get involved. While the Red Wings have some work cut out to determine which players are the best trade targets, Chychrun should be on their list.

He may not be considered a “need” to Steve Yzerman, but he should be on the list of “wants” for the Red Wings. The price is rumored to be pretty steep, but if the right scenario comes up, Yzerman should get to it and work something out.