Jakob Chychrun has been an immediate offensive success on the Washington Capitals’ blueline since the Caps acquired the 26-year-old defenseman from the Ottawa Senators this past summer. Chychrun’s latest goal, already his 13th of the season, came against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
The tally was Washington’s first in a 4-1 win over their bitter rivals and kept Chychrun as the third-leading goal scorer from the backend in the NHL. Interestingly, there is reportedly a timeline of events where the Florida native could have scored that goal for the other team involved in Saturday’s game.
Per The Athletic’s Rob Rossi, the Penguins balked at an opportunity to trade for Chychrun during the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. Chychrun was being actively shopped by the Arizona Coyotes, ultimately ending up with the Senators in a March 2023 deal.
“In November 2022, the Arizona Coyotes were looking to trade Jakob Chychrun and coach Mike Sullivan pressed Hextall, then the Penguins general manager, to bring Chychrun to Pittsburgh,” Rossi writes. “The Coyotes asking price included first-round picks in the 2025 and 2026 NHL Draft — prompting Hextall to back away from talks.”
The Coyotes settled for a first-round pick in the 2023 draft, a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, and a second-round pick in the 2026 draft from the Senators. At the time of the trade, Chychrun still had two seasons remaining on his contract, and he is currently in the second of those seasons with the Capitals.
Washington acquired Chychrun from the Senators for a far lesser price, sending Ottawa defenseman Nick Jensen and a third-round pick in the 2026 draft. Chychrun has 31 points (13g, 18a) in his first 41 games with the Capitals, on pace to smash his previous single-season career-high in points (41).
Chychrun recently commented that he has loved his time in DC and hinted at a desire to sign an extension with the Capitals. As things currently stand, he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer for the first time in his career.
Washington and Pittsburgh entered the 2024 offseason as two teams seemingly in similar positions as fast-fading NHL powers. After making several key acquisitions, including Chychrun, the Capitals have revitalized their roster and are the league’s top team 46 games into the season with a 31-10-5 record. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has continued their fall, sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 19-21-8 record.
