Bruins Need to Shoot Their Shot With Chychrun
The Boston Bruins tried for him last season, and could use him again for the 2024 playoffs.
Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports - Bruins Need to Shoot Their Shot With ChychrunJakob Chychrun is expensive, but he'd be excellent for the Boston Bruins front-line defense.
As the top team in the Eastern Conference, and with no first, second, or third-round picks in 2024, they may want to take advantage of a good trade opportunity.
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The Bruins' defense has been hard to break through lately, only allowing an average of 2.4 goals in the past 10 games.
His star defensive status, paired up with front-line defenseman Charlie McAvoy, could help the Bruins a lot.
The problem - he's expensive.
Before last season's trade deadline, there were already rumours of star defenseman Chychrun being traded to the Bruins - at a high price. This season, his cap hit is a whopping $4.6M.
He went to Ottawa instead, in exchange for a first-round pick and two second-round picks. Averaging over 20 minutes per game on the ice this season, he has yet again demonstrated his two-way defenseman abilities with seven goals and 20 assists.
The Bruins have a tight deadline cap space at $862,500, but freeing up some cap space by trading somewhat expensive players may help.
Matt Grzelcyk is in the last season of his expensive, $3.687M contract with the Bruins. As a struggling, first-line defenseman who's struggled offensively with only two goals and five assists this season, trading him in a good deal may help their financial situation.
Striking good deals for players such as Jake DeBrusk, Trent Frederic, and Morgan Geekie - all of whom have been hot and cold this season - may help.
DeBrusk, for instance, was cooler at the start of the season, with only three points from September through to October, but got a total of nine by the end of November. If this trend continues, they may keep him.
Geekie collected only five points between the start of September and the end of November.
Frederic's trends were similar, at three points between the start of September and the end of October, but racked up a great total of 18 by the end of December.
Depending on whether these more expensive players trend up or down, they may consider trading or keeping them.
Trading any of the cooler players would also free up financial space for a top-tier centre that the Bruins also need, such as Elias Lindolm, whose contract ends this year. He would come with a $4.8M cap hit.
But Chychrun has dismissed any trade rumours as ridiculous, according to an interview with The Athletic. Chychrun has rejected claims he doesn't like playing for Ottawa because of their current status, and considers it a second home, with his sister and grandpa living close.
Chychrun told The Athletic he understands the Sens may have to make hard choices to update their roster in response to their slump. He is not locked into a long-term contract with the Sens, already eligible to become a free agent in 2025. So, he may end up being traded somewhere.
The Bruins could use him either now or then.