Washington Capitals’ defenseman Jakob Chychrun is on a 10-game point streak with goals in his last five games. He is tied for fourth in the NHL in points among defensemen (23) and leads the league in goals by a blueliner (10).
The 27-year-old has recently been mentioned as a possible addition to Team Canada’s 2026 Winter Olympic roster. In June, Hockey Canada announced their first six selections that included only one defenseman, the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar.
At five-on-five this season, the Capitals have had 57.5% of shot attempts, 57.3% of expected goals, 57% of scoring chances, and 57% of high-danger chances with Chychrun on the ice. They’ve also outscored the opposition 32-13.
Chychrun Finally in the Team Canada Conversation
After meetings in early November where it was reported that Team Canada had made some initial cuts to its prospective roster, NHL insiders Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston predicted the Olympic defense corps would include Devon Toews (Avalanche), Thomas Harley (Dallas Stars), Josh Morrissey (Winnipeg Jets), Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers), Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings), Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights), and Colton Parayko (St. Louis Blues). Harley has been out with a lower-body injury and is considered “week-to-week.”
Players considered to be on the “bubble” to make the team include Evan Bouchard (Edmonton Oilers), Noah Dobson (Montreal Canadiens), Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers), Brandon Montour (Seattle Kraken), Morgan Rielly (Toronto Maple Leafs), and MacKenzie Weegar (Calgary Flames). Recently, New York Islanders rookie sensation Matthew Schaeffer was included as a possible addition. Among the eight players listed as on the bubble, Chychrun was not included. But that may be changing.
In the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that he thought Chychrun could be a candidate for the team. “I think he’s on the long list,” Friedman stated. “The tough thing for me is that I think Canada really likes their D. They had injuries, those guys played well. We know Schaefer got added to the list, but I was watching Chychrun, and I said he’s gotta be in the conversation, and apparently, he is. These are going to be tough decisions.”
Justin Bourne of Sportnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne made a similar argument recently, saying, “Chychrun has a better case than you may think. He plays a ton, and in all situations, has nearly a point per game and is a big guy who competes. I find it hard to believe he’d jump Harley, but I think Chychrun might be close. If there are injuries, I bet they find themselves talking about him an awful lot.”
A Florida-born Canadian Defenseman?
Chychrun is a dual citizen, born in Florida to an American father (former NHL defenseman Jeff Chychrun) and Canadian mother. He was eligible to play for both the U.S. and Canada, but all of his international participation has been for Canada.
At 15, Chychrun was drafted into the United States Hockey League (USHL) by the Youngstown Phantoms and was offered a spot on their roster as an underage player. With the season about to start, USA Hockey informed him that he would not be permitted to play in the USHL as an underage player. With few other options, he landed a spot on the Toronto Junior Canadiens. Later that season, he was approached to play for Team Ontario and later Team Canada on their U17 teams. This solidified Chychrun’s commitment to Team Canada.
“From then on out, I just felt like I was going to play for Canada,” Chychrun told ESPN in 2021. “Because they gave me the opportunity; they wanted me. It’s kind of crazy how it worked out. I was really excited to play in the U.S., hopefully play in the USHL, but it pretty much did a 180 and went the other way.”
At the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, he became the first player to compete in the competition in their minor midget year. In 2016, he represented Canada at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championships.
Chychrun stayed in Ontario and was selected first overall by the Sarnia Sting in the 2014 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection. He played two seasons for the Sting before being drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the first round, sixteenth overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.
The Argument for Chychrun
Last season, Chychrun scored 20 goals and 27 assists and had a plus-17 rating. It was his first time cracking the 20-goal plateau, and he finished 16th among NHL defensemen in scoring. This season, he is getting the most ice time of his career and has earned a spot on the first power-play unit.
“He’s so talented at finding shot lanes, changing his shot angle, moving his feet,” said Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery. “It’s not the same every time. He’s got that (Cale) Makar in him, where he can shoot it right away. He gets it, shoots it, releases it, but he also can move it laterally for five, six, seven seconds, and you can attack down, and then he’ll do something different the next time. It keeps defenders off balance.”
Related: Capitals’ Thompson & Wilson Make Case for Canadian Olympic Team
Right now, Chychrun leads the NHL in Corsi-for percentage (62.29) and expected goals-for percentage (64.24). His powerful shot and quick release have also contributed to a league-leading 21 rebound chances. He has been shooting consistently at around 11.5% the last two seasons, a significant improvement over his career average of 7.7%.
“He’s always been unbelievable as a sniper. He’s got one of the best shots I’ve ever seen… It’s incredible to watch him,” fellow Capitals defenseman John Carlson said. “A guy like that, give him some confidence on top of that, the pucks are going in. We just got to get him the puck as much as we can.”
Chychrun is a left-handed shot who can play on either side. He’s physical, defensively responsible, and can handle hard minutes. He ranks in the 90th percentile of NHL players for shot speed, skating speed, skating distance, speed bursts over 20 mph, shots on goal, and shooting percentage.
While he’s on pace to set career-highs in goals, assists, and points this season, Chychrun is committed to a complete game. “He’s not cheating defensively at all. He’s still being really steady back there,” goaltender Charlie Lindgren noted. “It’s not like when he’s out there, he’s giving up odd-man rushes or anything. He’s one heck of a player. I don’t know how that guy wouldn’t be on the Olympic team.”
Rosters for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy must be finalized by Dec. 31, with announcements from national teams expected in early January.
