Tom Wilson Interview ARLINGTON, V.A. — When Jakob Chychrun shoots the puck, the Washington Capitals — and the NHL — have learned that it's probably wise to get out of the way. It's easier said than done, and not always possible; just ask Tom Wilson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-between-two-posts-1215], who, while serving as a screen, took a Chychrun shot to the left cheek that fractured a sinus bone last week [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-tom-wilson-aftermath-jakob-chychrun-shot-broken-sinus-bone]. "He can rip the puck, that's for sure" Wilson commented. Chychrun does a lot of things right for the Capitals and has been a perfect fit since arriving in D.C., but it's that trademark shot, that blistering wrister from the high slot, that's made him an absolute force to be reckoned with and a catalyst on offense. His rocket of a shot is nothing new; it's something he's been perfecting from a young age. "Just a lot of reps and a lot of practice in the garage, going off of the door, always wanting to work at it," Chychrun said. "I think any opportunity I had when I was younger, I was just in the garage, messing around, having fun." It's also just a part of his game that he and his dad, former NHLer Jeff Chychrun, worked on quite a bit. "He said it's from his dad, making him do wrist curls when he was younger and using a wood stick," Dylan Strome [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/features/washington-capitals-dylan-strome-passion-stats-success] said. It's also a testament to the work that Chychrun puts in when it comes to building upper-body strength. I like to work on things that will help develop the shot... We need to develop just about everywhere to be able to play at our best and be as strong as we can," Chychrun said. Throughout the 2024-25 season, that signature wrist shot has been one of the most lethal in the NHL, as he ranks second among all defensemen with at least 20 games played in shooting percentage (16.67). He also leads all NHL blueliners with at least nine games played in goals-for percentage (70.91). "Oh my god, (he can shoot the puck)," Trevor van Riemsdyk noted. "He's not just looking to get pucks through; he's looking to score." Chychrun's top shot speed this season was a 98.17 mile-per-hour shot against the Florida Panthers, which ranks in the 95th percentile league-wide. On average, he shoots the puck at 73.52 MPH (87th percentile), and out of his 55 total shots on goal, 42 of them were between 80-90 miles per hour, ranking in the 99th percentile. "It almost feels like he's letting up some when he shoots, like he doesn't even follow through fully, just like a snapshot," Strome said. These stats also don't include his attempted shots, which more than likely come in at even higher speeds. Through 24 games so far, Chychrun has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points, and he's on pace to finish the year with 28 goals and 64 points. The majority of his goals have come off that wrist shot, and the most impressive part of it, for his teammates, is that he doesn't need a screen in front to beat the goaltender. "A lot of the time, it's not even through guys," Strome commented. "It's rare that a guy can just beat a goalie clean with a wrist shot from the distances he can do it at," van Riemsdyk added. At the end of the day, his teammates can't encourage him to keep shooting the puck enough, and that includes the aforementioned Wilson, even though the impact from Chychrun's shot has him in a full face shield for the next four weeks. "He's been great for us. I told him to keep shooting the puck, keep doing what he's doing, 'cause it's working," Wilson said.
