As trade rumours continue around the league, the Ottawa Senators defenceman proposed to his long time girlfriend, Olivia, this week.
With the NHL Draft set to begin this Friday, followed by the July 1st free agent frenzy, NHL rumours are very much in season. It's also the season for weddings and engagements across the NHL.
Ottawa Senators defenceman Jakob Chychrun found himself fully immersed in both seasons this week.
Chychrun's hockey future remained a hot topic of discussion across the league this week, connected to trade rumours out of Philadelphia and Boston. The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, and at the team's year-end media availability, Chychrun expressed uncertainty when asked if he saw himself playing here for the next few years.
"It's a tough question," Chychrun told the media. "I mean, I don't know. I honestly have not thought about that. I know I have one more year left, and like I said, there haven't even been talks of an extension or anything. So I haven't really gotten my head wrapped around that idea."
Reading the tea leaves, Chychrun's assertion that he hadn't thought about things after next season made it sound like either he or the team may be having doubts about an extension and a long-term relationship.
But on the homefront, there were no such doubts this week when Chychrun took a knee to propose to his girlfriend, Olivia. Chychrun had given plenty of thought to a long-term deal in that relationship.
Chychrun posted photos of the moment on his Instagram page, and it appears that he invited both families to surprise Olivia and congratulate the happy couple right after the proposal's acceptance.
With Chychrun's personal life moving forward, the focus will quickly shift back to his professional life for the next few weeks. Will he and the Senators find common ground and eventually talk about an extension this summer? Or, as the current rumours seem to indicate, are they headed for a parting of the ways?