Is Revisiting Defenseman Jakob Chychurin Something the Penguins Should Consider?

It was reported that last year, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan wanted Jakob Chychurin when the Coyotes put him on the trading block. Dispite his team friendly cap hit, low trade cost and his overall production, Former GM Ron Hextall did not pull (or want to pull) the trigger. Chychurin ended up on the Senators for three draft picks.

Fast forward to this year, with Kyle Dubas at the helm, the Pens may have a chance to revisit Chychurin.

The Senators Have Not Told Any Teams 'No' if asked about Chychurin

The Senators have been a disappointment this year, and Chychurin's contract expires after the 2024-25 season. He has not shown any real interest in staying in Ottawa after that. So it is possible that Chychurin could be available for the right deal.


Dubas should be considering adding a defenseman if the Penguins want to make a run into the playoffs. Ryan Graves has proven to be a disappointment and no one else has stepped up behind him to fill in as a top 4 defenseman.

Chychurin may not have a big physical presence, but his production is something the team can use. He is on pace to score 50 points this season, with solid possession numbers.

Chychurin's Team Friendly Salary Should Be Something the Penguins Can Work With But they Have Obstacles They Would have to Overcome

As mentioned, he is signed through 2024-25 at $4.6 million a year. For a 25-year-old productive defenseman, this is a bargain. Ottawa sent one first round, and two second round picks when trading for him to Arizona. This should be a similar price for Chychurin now.

The issue is the Penguins currently cap, their draft pick options for 2024 and if Chychurin will be someone they need.

The Pens are always near the top of their cap space, but can get around that with trading players to Ottawa, or adding a third team into the mix to try to dump salary.

As far as the Pittsburgh's first round pick in 2024, that is likely promised to San Jose as part of the Karlsson trade. To further complicate things, the pick is top-10 protected. So, if the Pens do not make the playoffs and get a top-10 draft pick, San Jose will get the teams first pick in 2025.

The final question is do the Penguins need a player with similar skills as Letang and Karlsson? It actually could work, because the important piece of this puzzle is that he is good enough for the top 4. He could work well with Kris Letang, leaving Pettersson with Karlsson who have worked well this season.

Based on the Penguins position of win now while they have the core of Crosby, Letang and Malkin, they should be considered buyers instead of sellers at the trade deadline. Having production and success on the blue line will be crucial to get deep into a playoff run, and Chychurin could fill that position.

As Read On: Pensburgh - Should the Penguins re-visit Jakob Chychrun?