Blackhawks Trade Chatter: Chaos and Jakob Chychrun

The Chicago Blackhawks have been linked to just about every trade rumor right now–or so it seems. Now Jakob Chychrun has been linked to them, there’s this little nugget dropped by Elliotte Friedman about all of it:

Friedman on 32TP: “I think this one is going to be a bananas week, I think there is going to be things that happen here that we absolutely do not see coming”

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) June 26, 2024

The Boston Bruins kicked it all off by shipping Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators after the Stanley Cup Final wrapped up. The Detroit Red Wings made a couple of moves–including Jake Walman being traded to San Jose. Then there’s several reports with Jakob Chychrun attached not only to the Red Wings, but to several others teams as well.

Wouldn’t you know it–the Blackhawks are one of them.

Does Jakob Chychrun Fit What the Blackhawks are Building?

It’s not to say he couldn’t help the team but how does he actually fit into what the Hawks are building right now? Without trades or anything factored in right now, Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic, Seth Jones, and Connor Murphy are all in your top four. Ethan Del Mastro likely closes out one of the final two spots and if the Blackhawks pick Artyom Levshunov, he’s likely pushing for a spot unless both he and the Blackhawks decide another year at Michigan State is worth the time.

So maybe, a Chychrun deal makes sense. But the price for the veteran defenseman according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen is at least a first and second round pick. If not that, a high end prospect. Garrioch names the Blackhawks as a team interested and while there is a glut of talent they could send over, why him?

After eight seasons in the league, he finally saw a full injury free season last year. 41 points with 12 goals would certainly clean up the lack of scoring issue from the blue line–and the team.

But for a team that saw injury decimate the roster in 2023-24, is there some risk in taking a guy whose only other full season was the COVID shortened season in 2020-21? The offensive upside is tantalizing because his 12 goals ties him for sixth on last year’s team. He also bests Seth Jones by four markers.

Those 41 points? Third on the team. So ta’da, there’s some damn good upside. The next logical question is whether the Blackhawks would part with the 18th overall and likely that 50th overall pick for him? Perhaps they send one of their promising defensive prospects over–think Nolan Allan.

Chychrun is just 26–right in that zone which is perfect for the team readying to rise. So if indeed things are going to be “bananas” as Friedman claims, why not some Jakob Chychrun trade chatter for some more chaos?

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