What Does Boston Have to Offer Arizona for Star Defenseman Jakob Chychrun?

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With the speculations and rumours flying over the league and yesterday's announcement that Jakob Chychrun will be a healthy scratch due to trade procedures, we can only speculate that the Bruins are one of many teams in on the Jakob Chychrun discussion.

With the recent conversations made by Jeff Marek, claiming that the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Edmonton Oilers are out on a Chychrun trade, it only opens the door for Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins.

Alternatively, what would it cost the Boston Bruins if they were to trade for the young, stud, defenseman? It would likely cost the B's multiple prospects, a defensemen, a depth piece and potentially multiple first-round picks. 

Prospects:

To start, of course, Boston would be inclined to send over Fabian Lysell, John Beecher, or even Mason Lohrei. The Arizona Coyotes are in a massive rebuilding stage, and a prospect like Fabian Lysell could further boost their prospect pool.

But will Don Sweeney pull the string on a Fabian Lysell? The Swedish star is Boston's clear top prospect, excelling this season in the AHL. Lysell is among the rookie leaders in points with ten goals and 16 assists in 31 games as a 20-year-old. Furthermore, Lysell holds all the characteristics of a future Bruin player with his offensive talent and gritty, competitive mindset.

Additionally, both Beecher and Lohrei are interesting prospects. Beecher is a former first-round pick of the Bruins from the 2019 NHL Draft, while Lohrei was drafted as an overager in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. If Fabian Lysell was not included in a trade, it is fairly likely that both Beecher and Lohrei would be going the other way.

Cap Situation:

Wouldn't a rotating top-three defence core consisting of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, and Jakob Chychrun be the best in the league? Of course! But when one door opens, another door often closes. If a trade were to occur, Boston would be inclined to deal over defensive defenseman Brandon Carlo, or OFD Matt Grzelcyk.
 
The salary cap would be the main issue in preventing a trade, as Boston currently sits with just $2.5M in available cap space (with Jake DeBrusk on LTIR). Jakob Chychrun currently holds a cap hit of $4.6M, meaning the Bruins would be $2.1M over the cap hit, or $6.1M once Jake DeBrusk returns. Carlo holds a cap hit of $4.1M, while Grzelcyk makes $3.7M.
 
With an acquisition like Chychrun, it would limit the playing time and roles between Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. Both players are among the two who have already seen their playing time reduced due to the increased roles of Connor Clifton and Derek Forbort. Grzelcyk currently places last in the Bruins' d-man's time on ice among players who have played over 15 games this season.
 
Furthermore, another veteran piece would also need to be added if Arizona were not to retain part of Chychrun's contract. Potential candidates include Craig Smith, who has a cap hit of $3 million and is a pending unrestricted free agent, or Mike Reilly, who is currently buried in the AHL.

Chychrun to Boston?

With the claims within the hockey world, it looks more and more likely that the Bruins are in the mix. Of course, Boston would have to send multiple first-round picks and second-round picks, but it should better their chances at one last Stanley Cup run with their aging core.