The Arizona Coyotes are receiving inquiries from other clubs about defenseman Jakob Chychrun, but they're looking for a hefty collection of talent in return.
"There's been much speculation on Chychrun's availability for the last several weeks, I would say, but it's real," TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."
"Who's to say when a deal involving Jakob Chychrun may be made," Dreger added. "Perhaps it doesn't happen. He's got a wonderful contract ... but calls are coming in from interested teams. Offers are being made."
The biggest obstacle to a trade appears to be what Arizona is seeking in a potential deal.
"The asking price expectedly is enormous, and it has scared some of these GMs away," Dreger said. "You're talking about (an) Eichel-like return here. That's Alex Tuch, that's Peyton Krebs, that's a conditional first(-round pick and) a conditional second. That's too much for a lot of teams to stomach right now, but it's a story we're going to continue to follow. The Coyotes are in no rush to move Jakob Chychrun."
The 23-year-old is in his sixth season with the Coyotes, who drafted him 16th overall in 2016. Chychrun has blossomed into a legitimate No. 1 blue-liner, leading the club in average ice time by nearly three minutes, though he last played Dec. 10 due to an injury.
Chychrun hasn't produced offensively in 2021-22 like the career-high 41 points he posted over 56 games last season. He entered Tuesday's action with two goals and five assists across 26 contests this campaign, but the Coyotes have been the NHL's worst team with only six wins in 30 games heading into Tuesday evening's slate.
The talented rearguard is signed through 2024-25 at a cap hit of $4.6 million, according to CapFriendly. Arizona traded defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to the Vancouver Canucks in July.
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