NHL Rumors: Latest on Chychrun trade talks, and is a league-wide COVID pause coming?
Anthony Scultore
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There’s been a lot of noise around the Arizona Coyotes and in particular Jakob Chychrun. It began in the offseason with rumors that the New York Islanders reached out about his availability.
We know that the Coyotes are in a state of flux, looking for a new home, and selling off assets. One player most believed was insulated from all of this was Chychrun.
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NHL Rumors: Jakob Chyrchrun
Chychrun, 23, has just 7 points in 26 games for Arizona. Although you’d be had pressed to hold those numbers against him this season. In 2020-21, he had a breakout performance with 41 points in 56 games.
“Arizona GM Bill Armstrong refused to comment when asked, but it now sounds like the Coyotes are gauging the market on Jakob Chychrun,” Elliotte Friedman recently reported. I’ve heard the ask is massive, but that doesn’t mean opponents are running away. He’s signed for three more years at a very reasonable $4.6 million AAV and is a terrific player. This is one to watch.”
Friedman’s colleague on Sportsnet, Nick Kypreos believes that ask is around four pieces. Similar to what the Buffalo Sabres were looking for on Jack Eichel.
Craig S. Morgan, who covers the Coyotes extensively, seemed perturbed about all the rumors tweeting:
ESPN’s announcers casually dropping “a lot of trade talks surrounding No. 6 for the Coyotes (Chychrun).” This no doubt came from extensive reporting. Sigh.
“Unless you have actually done the reporting and spoken to sources, you should not be opining like you know what’s happening,” Morgan continued.
So, there needs to be a clear distinction on if Arizona is actively shopping him or if team’s are just asking about the defenseman. That appears to be what Morgan is alluding too.
NHL Pause?
Currently three teams in the NHL are shutdown. The Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers are all postponed until after the Christmas Break.
Nearly 150 NHL players have been on the protocol list so far this season, and the list has been growing rapidly in recent days.
In Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa they’ve reduced capacity to 50% for games. The Predators have been hit hard recently with cases, prompting forward Nick Cousins to tweet:
Pause the season until after Christmas ? This is ridiculous
While the NHL has put into place enhanced protocols and taking things on a team by team basis, it appears the inevitable is coming. A pause on the season is likely on the horizon.
If so, it will by default end the NHL and NHLPA’s participation in the upcoming Olympics.