Capitals general manager Chris Patrick provided an update on contract negotiations with defenseman Jakob Chychrun on Wednesday.
Speaking with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Patrick said both sides have a mutual interest in completing a new deal before Chychrun hits the open market in July. Chychrun said he and the team began contract extension talks last month, but there’s been no reporting since then.
“We’ll continue to talk,” Patrick said to LeBrun. “I’m hopeful we’ll get something done, and I think Jakob is in the same boat. I think he’s really liked the situation in Washington. I think it’s been good for both sides. He’s been a good fit for our group and I think our group is good for him.”
Chychrun has gelled well with the Caps after an offseason trade brought him to DC from the Ottawa Senators. The 26-year-old pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman has 43 points (18g, 25a) from the backend this season.
He previously stated that he loves playing in DC and hoped a contract solution would soon be worked out between the two parties. The Boca Raton, FL native has already set a new single-season career high in points with the Capitals (43) and is averaging 21:01 of ice time per game.
“We love the group, we love the staff – there’s a lot of familiar faces throughout my time in the NHL in this organization who I’ve been with in the past, and that made the transition a lot smoother – and we’ve loved living here,” Chychrun said in mid-January. “We’ve loved living in Virginia, and driving by the White House every day on your way to work is really cool. I just think it’s been a blast.”
According to AFP Analytics projections, Chychrun’s next contract could be a seven-year, $54.9 million deal ($7.84M AAV) with the current NHL salary cap estimations for next season ($95.5M). If he chooses to re-sign with the Caps instead of testing free agency, he is eligible for an eighth year of term on any deal.
Per PuckPedia, the Capitals are currently set to have $23.125 million in cap space for next season. Chychrun is one of seven active Caps scheduled to become UFAs this summer. He joins Andrew Mangiapane, Lars Eller, Nic Dowd, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh, and Dylan McIlrath.
