Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun has been the subject of trade speculation for several weeks with several teams rumored to be interested in the 23-year-old defenseman. On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported the Coyotes received an offer that met their asking price of a young player, a prospect and a first-round pick.
The offer was comprised of two former first-rounders plus a first-round pick though Marek didn’t indicate which club made that pitch. He listed the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers among the potential suitors.
Marek considered the Panthers the team to watch in the Chychrun sweepstakes. That shouldn’t be surprising as GM Bill Zito is considered to be in “go-for-it mode” with Chyrchun among his blueline targets.
The asking price, however, remains an issue. Marek speculated last week that the Coyotes could seek goaltender Spencer Knight, rookie center Anton Lundell and a first-rounder. Chychrun’s youth and the remaining three years of his contract would fit well into the Panthers’ long-term plans but Zito could be reluctant to give up that much in return.
Marek also said Vitali Kravtsov was part of the Rangers’ offer. A former first-rounder, the 23-year-old winger is playing in Russia this season awaiting a trade. The Blueshirts’ depth in young talent could make GM Chris Drury willing to part with his 2022 first-rounder pick. He could, however, draw the line on moving a former first-rounder like Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko or K’Andre Miller.
It’s worth remembering that the Coyotes aren’t in a hurry to move Chychrun. They can afford to wait until the offseason if they don’t get the right offer by the March 21 trade deadline.
