Location: I AM MY OWN DAMN SOURCE!, NY Joined: 11.04.2010
Jan 26 @ 9:14 AM ET
What kind of futuristic nonsense is this? - buffalofan19
It was one of the better coach interviews that I’ve heard in a very long time he talked about how nobody feared the Sabres when he first took over, and gave an example of a game against Tampa Bay, where Tampa gave up three breakaways in the first To Buffalo. But Tampa was up 3-0 at the end of one.
Said Tampa wasn’t worried about giving up breakaways to Buffalo because they couldn’t score.
one game at a time
one period at a time
one shift at a time
that should be their mindset - homiedclown
That should be their mindset but it's not. They want a dependable consistent goalie who can win the 1 to nothing game or 2 to 1. They know themselves when the offence isn't allowed to free wheel and defence needs to tighten up the trouble will start.
Location: Formerly Visionville, Now Purgatory Joined: 07.29.2021
Jan 26 @ 9:35 AM ET
My point wasn't .915 is a great save %.
Ya'll would harp on him for being above average on a horrid team. And now you flip the switch saying "well look at his team"
He was good on the worst franchise in the 2010's and now he's Vezina caliber on a great team.
I'd put him in that 4-7 spot. Could argue anywhere around that position.
Hard to argue he's better than
Sorokin
Shesterkin
Hellebyuck
And posted by Homie.... the highest average by goalies in a year since 2006 was .911... - DirtyDan
Not sure where the Clown is getting this unless I'm missing something. Lehner posted a .920 in 2016, Chad Johnson got a .920 in 2015. Heck, even Neuvirth had a .918 sv% and all of those were tank teams as well.
It was one of the better coach interviews that I’ve heard in a very long time he talked about how nobody feared the Sabres when he first took over, and gave an example of a game against Tampa Bay, where Tampa gave up three breakaways in the first To Buffalo. But Tampa was up 3-0 at the end of one.
Said Tampa wasn’t worried about giving up breakaways to Buffalo because they couldn’t score. - ImThatGuy
I'll call bullish!t on that statement and most coaches would agree
The Athletic
Jakob Chychrun’s trade destinations: 7 teams that could (and should) be interested
VANCOUVER, CANADA - DECEMBER 3: Jakob Chychrun #6 of the Arizona Coyotes waits for a face-off during the second period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on December 3, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 3-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)
By Shayna Goldman
5h ago
23
Maybe you’ve heard this before, but Jakob Chychrun is on the market.
This has been floating around for some time, but injuries and the asking price have held up a deal.
Why should other teams be interested in this player that the Coyotes are so keen to move? It’s because the 24-year-old brings a lot of value to a team, and he’s cost controlled with a manageable cap hit of $4.6 million. The longer Arizona waits to move him, however, the lesser the return may be. While technically there’s no rush because he has another two full seasons under contract after 2022-23, a major benefit is that he’s signed for at least three playoff runs and can help solidify the playoff hopes for a progressing team.
What Chychrun brings to the lineup
Besides the fact that he’s a 24-year-old defender, with a manageable cap hit of $4.6 million, why should teams be interested in Chychrun?
There’s his versatility: a left-handed defenseman who can play either side of the lineup. That should make him a target for any team looking to add to their blue line, regardless of handedness.
There’s his offense: Chychrun’s a good skater who can move the puck up the ice with control and can quarterback offensive play from the blue line. He’s a frequent shooter with finishing ability who will generally rate highly among the position — just not to the extent of some of his career-high seasons. The defender has some risk and reward to his game back in his own end, especially under pressure. But his environment may have something to do with it.
That’s why there’s the fact that he’s probably going to be in a much better situation wherever he moves, which should boost his results more. In Arizona this year, his quality of forward teammates is among the lowest of all defenders in the league. That’s the breaks of playing on a bottom-feeding Coyotes squad. Anywhere else, he probably has a lot more support in terms of systems and team strength. That should put him in a better position to succeed than he’s been in through much of his career.
A change in scenery can be exactly what a player needs to rebound or truly play to their strengths. Look at Hampus Lindholm in Boston versus Anaheim, for example. So interested teams should be banking on more from Chychrun elsewhere than they’ve seen so far in Arizona. And depending on where he goes decides what his role will be — maybe on another team, he won’t have to play.
Why the Coyotes would trade him
At this point, no player is safe to stick around in Arizona. Even seemingly ‘core’ plays like Chychrun are likely to be on the move. This team is looking for future assets — specifically, two first-round picks as a starting point for the defenseman, or something comparable. Will they do anything productive with those assets to get out of this perpetual rebuild? That remains to be seen. It’s nothing about the player’s game, it’s all about the Coyotes looking to recoup assets. And the sooner they move him this year, the more the roster gets depleted which betters their chances of winning the Connor Bedard lottery.
Teams who should be in the mix for Chychrun
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings were a contender for the defenseman last year, and that holds true this season. Los Angeles addressed their forward group this past offseason with the splashy add of Kevin Fiala, But after not changing much on defense, they’re still looking to add to the left side of their blue line. That’s where a player like Chychrun comes in — a lefty who can play his natural side (or shift around if the team needs a rover because of injury).
Right now, the Kings have a quarterback for their top power-play unit in Drew Doughty. But he could easily slot onto PP2. And at even strength, this is a team that’s just above average offensively and strong enough in their own end. More pop from the blue line with the frequent-shooting defenseman could be what they need to add to that.
With their playoff run last season, the Kings are at the start of their window between their veterans and young talent. Chychrun fits right in between that, as a player who can help them solidify their status as a playoff team now and still be in his prime over the next couple of seasons ahead. And the Kings have the assets to make a deal happen — the question is whether they’d want to deplete them this early into their playoff window.
Edmonton Oilers
Sticking in the Pacific Division, we move to a team that needs to do everything it can to contend now. The Oilers have to maximize these next couple of seasons while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at the top of their game. That means adjusting the roster around them to give the duo as much support as possible. Improving the defense has to be a priority to do that.
Chychrun’s mobility and offensive upside should make him a fit for the Oilers, a team that The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun says is working the phones, and may have already asked about this player. He can keep up with the team’s best, and complement them. On the other hand, maybe management doesn’t want a player with similar skills to the likes of Evan Bouchard and Tyson Barrie. Maybe they feel getting tougher to play against is the right route to go with. But the Coyotes defenseman could take over on PP1, and help push the pace on what should be a fast-paced team instead of trying to slow down a team and change their strengths.
The other issue is the cost of acquisition. Edmonton isn’t exactly swimming in future assets and hasn’t been super willing to move on from those that it has. Then again, teams with flawed rosters have to spend to win. There are other defenders worth considering, maybe cheaper ones at that. But leaning into their strengths and making this team as dangerous as it gets offensively could help counter some of their weaknesses, and that makes Chychrun a fit in Edmonton.
St. Louis Blues
Since Alex Pietrangelo’s departure, the Blues have been missing a true No. 1 defenseman. There’s a conversation to have on whether Chychrun is that, but maybe having a handful of top- and second-pair caliber defenders can make up for that weakness. The Blues could try to make their blue line greater than the sum of their parts by distributing strengths more evenly throughout their six.
The problem is that the Blues don’t look like a contender right now. If anything, this team should take a step back and sell pieces to quickly turn around this roster. But moving pieces, like Vladimir Tarasenko and maybe Ryan O’Reilly (who does want to stick around in St. Louis) should bring back future assets. And management could use those to work on other areas of weakness — like their blue line.
Chychrun’s contract situation is what makes him an option even if this team steps back from playoff contention this year. That could even give the Blues some leverage because they don’t have to make a move at the deadline if the right trade doesn’t materialize. So if the Coyotes can’t find a buyer, St. Louis could circle back at a later date. That’s the key here: Chychrun is only 24 and doesn’t have to go to a bonafide contender. Instead, he could be the ideal fit for a team that’s trying to improve their chances in the near future, but not this season.
Ottawa Senators
Speaking of teams who could add Chychrun to improve their long-term chances, there’s the Senators. Ottawa had a busy summer working on their forward core, but injuries and a lack of improvements to their blue line are what held them back this season. So, that puts the Senators in the market for any defensemen that become available. Ottawa’s in a different position from many in the playoff hunt. There’s no pressure to make a decision right now and it can wait for the offseason. They’re completely out on pure rentals, and it doesn’t make sense for them to overcommit to an aging defenseman that becomes available via free agency this summer. Instead, Ottawa should be looking for a defenseman that’s young enough to have their high-end years line up with the team’s eventual playoff window.
That holds true for the Blue Jackets as well, a team that may lose a blueliner or two (like Vladislav Gavrikov) at the deadline. It applies to the Sabres as well, although Buffalo may be closer to the playoff hunt than Ottawa. All three teams — Ottawa, Columbus and Buffalo — have the assets to bolster their defense by way of Chychrun. But some, the Senators in particular, have the most pressing needs on defense out of this trio.
Buffalo Sabres
Speaking of Buffalo, how aggressive does this team get now that things are finally turning around for them? This team has to look at players who can help now and in the future, which Chychrun accomplishes. But where does he actually fit in the lineup? Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power round out the left side of the top four. Would Chychrun slotting to the right bump Henri Jokiharju to the third pair? And what about the power play? Rasmus Dahlin is the rightful PP1 quarterback, with Power on the second. Ideally, Chychrun has some time on the advantage which then would require knocking a forward off PP2 and rolling with three forwards. Going for a Timo Meier-like option makes a lot more sense for Buffalo, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them assess all of their options, either.
Florida Panthers
On the flip side, there are teams who should be invested in contending but don’t have the assets for a piece as major as Chychrun. This is the exact kind of player the Panthers should be looking for. At their core, this is a team that thrives off up-tempo offense. They got away from that last deadline, and that should prove to management that leaning on their strengths is the direction to go.
Losing MacKenzie Weegar has had a major ripple effect on this defense, which management has to find a way to address. A team can’t win a playoff spot right now, but it can lose it — and Florida’s blue line has contributed to its chances sliding. Chychrun has a low enough cap hit that Florida should be able to find a way to balance it. But what assets does it have to move? The team already filliped its next three first-rounders, plus it only has two out of its next three seconds and thirds. A young roster player or prospect, instead, probably has to headline a trade since this team is so low on picks. But moving a young roster player runs the risk of weakening the team too much elsewhere.
New York Islanders
On “The Jeff Marek Show” earlier this week, Elliotte Friedman linked the Islanders to Chychrun. This is an interesting one because the defender would be a fit on Long Island to round out the top four around Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and righty Noah Dobson.
Could the Islanders afford this and should they? At a certain point, the team has to be realistic about their chances this year. If management feels they aren’t bound for the playoffs, or the long run, maybe it’s best they start recouping assets by trading the likes of Scott Mayfield and Semyon Varlamov who are on expiring contracts. Even Anthony Beauvillier could be on the move if management doesn’t think he’s a part of the answer long-term (whether it’s to Arizona, or elsewhere). That would bring back assets management could flip to add Chychrun, who would better this team’s chances down the line. The Islanders need offense, and he’d be a source of it from the blue line. So management should consider him, but seeing as that’s the weakness they’ve been dealing with for some time, it shouldn’t be their top priority, either.
This team needs a high-end winger first and foremost, and being in the Chychrun race can’t preclude them from that. If somehow this team could swing both, then by all means. But there’s bigger fish to fry first, and this isn’t the most creative front office to make it happen. That’s why it’s worth asking whether management will make any productive moves at all before getting into the specifics of Chychrun or a forward.
Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, AllThreeZones, HockeyStatCards and NaturalStatTrick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers.
He talks about how they are the highest scoring team in the league. - ImThatGuy
It certainly is but when checking gets tighter like it will in the stretch run he better have a plan B. I'd say goaltender with a better avg than the Dell, the guy everyone said was a bum.
Location: Why aren't more people interrigent? Rike Me? , ON Joined: 02.03.2021
Jan 26 @ 10:24 AM ET
Not sure where the Clown is getting this unless I'm missing something. Lehner posted a .920 in 2016, Chad Johnson got a .920 in 2015. Heck, even Neuvirth had a .918 sv% and all of those were tank teams as well.
Location: Formerly Visionville, Now Purgatory Joined: 07.29.2021
Jan 26 @ 10:28 AM ET
I am. I also think the cap implications are overblown.
They're probably going to lock down their top 2 centers for $2.5 more than McJesus makes by himself - Hank Balling
For sure about the cap, especially at 4.6M, we can easily afford it. My issue is the pending UFA status around the time we're ready to seriously compete. I just don't want to see them lose him for nothing after paying a steep price.
Location: Why aren't more people interrigent? Rike Me? , ON Joined: 02.03.2021
Jan 26 @ 10:39 AM ET
Luke Schen is the guy to help in the stretch run to the playoffs. - Freddie krug
Would agree, just don't see this team making a move, they've clearly committed themselves to Bryson and Lyboosh for another year.
Wouldn't see why Johnson wouldn't come here. Clear opportunity to start on the 3rd pair or even with Power. Team has shown the potential and shown they can be a wild card team.
Youngest team in the league, only getting younger(which to me is scary)
