Jakob Chychrun is set for his return to Arizona tonight for the first time since being traded by the Coyotes last season in what may be a hostile environment.
After almost a year since getting traded, Jakob Chychrun is set to make his return to the Valley as the Ottawa Senators come to town to take on the Arizona Coyotes.
Will Chychrun get booed in his return to Arizona by Coyotes fans? He has an interesting past with the organization both good and bad, so let’s get into it.
Chychrun was drafted by the Coyotes with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. He made his arrival to the NHL during the 2016-17 season but truly broke out during the 2021-22 season when he recorded 18 goals, 23 points and 41 points.
For a few years, Chychrun held the role of the Coyotes number one defenseman, playing over 20 minutes a game and it seemed like a great marriage was brewing.
However the relationship between Chychrun and the Coyotes unfortunately did not have a happy ending.
There was speculation about Chychrun wanting out of Arizona for a longtime but he officially made it clear that he indeed did request a trade before the start of the 2022-23 season.
“We ultimately decided it would be right to move on to a better situation,” Chychrun said last year when discussing his trade request. “If I wanted to be in a different situation and move on that they were going to be willing to do that and make that happen for me.”
Despite his trade request, Chychrun still played 36 games for the Coyotes last season but was pulled out of the lineup at some points toward the end of his tenure in the Valley due to ‘trade-related reasons’.
After months of speculation, Chychrun was finally traded on March 1, 2023, to the Senators in a deal that included multiple draft picks.
Now for the Senators, the 25-year-old has been real solid, tallying five goals, 16 assists and 21 points in 26 games while logging 23:06 minutes of ice time.
With all of this history, it should be expected that Chychrun gets booed by the fans at Mullett Arena tonight.
Chychrun is one of the better defenseman to play for the Coyotes in recent memory so his return will certainly spark emotions both for him and the Coyotes.
For many years, Chychrun was a fan favorite in Arizona but tonight he will be competing against the team that helped him grow as both a player and person.
It’s an interesting storyline that will reach its climax tonight in Tempe.