The Washington Capitals are one of the hottest teams in the NHL and defenseman Jakob Chychrun is a big reason why.
The 26-year-old arrived in the nation's capital via trade in early July, and since the start of the season he's had an immediate impact on the score sheet.
Chychrun scored his 11th goal of the year on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins, tying him for the league lead for defensemen.
With 25 points and counting, Chychrun is tied for 14th among defenseman but all signs indicate his offensive prowess from the blue line is only going to get hotter from here on out.
The former Arizona Coyote and Ottawa Senator has four points in his last three games played and is well on track to top his career high of 18 goals from 2020-21. He's also already more than halfway to his career high in points (41) from just last season, tallying 17 points in as many games since Nov. 25.
According to RMNB's Peter Haslett, Chychrun is currently outscoring nine high-profile forwards including Sidney Crosby, Jack Eichel and Connor Bedard.
For his efforts, Chychrun should begin creeping into the minds of NHL award voters, specifically for the Norris Trophy which is handed out to the league's best offensive defenseman.
Of course, it'll be hard to shake the hype of Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar, a perennial contender, and the Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes, the 2023-24 winner.
But Chychrun has the ability to prove his worthiness, especially with a high-flying squad such as Washington.
It'll be hard for voters to ignore his impressive play when the Capitals will be the focus of the playoff hunt and an all-important record chase.
Chychrun has assisted captain Alex Ovechkin several times this year in his quest to pass Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky for most career goals all-time.
With that many eyeballs on the team, there's bound to be mention of Washington players in season honor discussions at some point. Chychrun should be one of the first to be considered.
