Former Senator Jakob Chychrun on His Time in Ottawa: "I Felt I Wasn't Playing My Best Hockey"

Chychrun addressed the media in a Zoom call this week and discussed his time in Ottawa.

Former Ottawa Senators defenceman Jakob Chychrun held court with the media this week after being traded to the Washington Capitals on Monday afternoon. In return, the Senators got Nick Jensen, a much-needed right-shot defenceman and a 2026 third-round draft pick. 

From Ottawa's perspective, there were several reasons for the deal. At season's end, Chychrun sounded non-committal about signing an extension with the Sens before he becomes a UFA next summer. The Sens also have a surplus of left-shot offensive defencemen and needed to rebalance things, and Jensen's arrival has done that.

But there may have been a third reason that isn't talked about nearly enough. Chychrun didn't have a great season. It wasn't the kind of year that called for a massive raise next season. His cap hit is fair at $4.6 million, but his actual salary will be $7 million this fall. 

Chychrun didn't talk about money but admitted in a Zoom call with the media that he didn't play as well as he would have liked last season.

"Personally, I felt I wasn't playing my best hockey. I was a little bit frustrated with the way I was playing. I think, you know, the coaching change and ownership change was tough. The ownership change was tough on a lot of the guys. It was just a lot of noise. It seemed like a lot of distraction for our group.

"We never seemed to be able to all get on the same page and really take a step as a team together and make a push," Chychrun said. "It was something that was really frustrating for everyone in that room. Everyone in that room really cares and wants to win, but that just wasn't in the cards for us last season. And that's kind of tough to leave on those terms."

Chychrun says his stay in Ottawa was much shorter than he thought it would be. And while it didn't go the way he wanted, he'll always have fond memories of his 15 months in Ottawa, his second hometown, where his dad grew up and where his grandfather and sister live.

"It was special being able to play in front of family, in front of loved ones every night. I think those are memories that I'll always cherish and be grateful for. Not everyone gets an opportunity to play any games for a team at home. So I think that was very special and something I'm definitely very grateful for. 

"I'm thankful that it happened and looking forward to the next journey."