Jakob Chychrun had been a fixture in the rumor mill for over a year when the Arizona Coyotes finally traded him to the Ottawa Senators in March.
Now, less than a year later, he's back in it.
Sens general manager Steve Staios has been listening to other clubs' overtures for the defenseman, reports Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
Staios is expected to meet with Chychrun's agent, Andy Scott, to see if they can agree on a contract extension. If they can't, talks with the other clubs may escalate, Garrioch adds.
Ottawa gave up a top-five-protected first-round pick in last year's draft, a conditional second-rounder in this year's proceedings, and a 2026 second-round selection to snag Chychrun from the Coyotes. He'd been on the block since at least January 2022, when it was reported they sought an "Eichel-like haul" for the blue-liner.
Chychrun has been productive since joining Ottawa, notching 31 points in 51 games over the last two seasons, including 26 across 39 contests in 2023-24. The rearguard, who turns 26 on March 31, ranks third on the team in average ice time with 22:34. He played parts of seven campaigns with Arizona, who drafted him 16th overall in 2016.
He's under contract through 2024-25 with a $4.6-million cap hit, according to CapFriendly. Ottawa already has around $72 million committed to players for that campaign, including Jake Sanderson's $8.05-million cap hit.
Chychrun has a 10-team no-trade list, a right he gained this season that will carry over until his contract is up.
The Senators seemed to be on the verge of contention, landing Chychrun after acquiring sniper Alex DeBrincat to complement a promising young core in July 2022. But Ottawa finished sixth in the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season last spring.
The Sens have taken an even bigger step backward in 2023-24. They enter Thursday with the fourth-worst points percentage in the NHL and fired head coach D.J. Smith on Dec. 18. Coaching changes often inspire turnarounds, but Ottawa is 4-9-0 with Jacques Martin at the helm this season.
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