Jakob Chychrun is having a career year with the Washington Capitals this season. As of Dec. 3, he is on pace to reach 30 goals and 69 points, shattering his previous bests of 20 goals and 47 points, which he set last season, his first season with the Capitals. His success with his new team earned him an eight-year, $72 million extension valued at $9 million per season.
Before he was in Washington, though, he was with the Ottawa Senators, who paid a handsome price to bring him over from the Arizona Coyotes. But the combination never really worked; over 94 games, he had 16 goals and 46 points while finishing with a combined minus-31. With neither side happy, he was sold to the Capitals for defensive-minded Nick Jensen, but this season, he’s been playing mostly on the third pair and is on pace for a 19-point season. Now, Thomas Chabot is on the injured reserve, leaving the left side without much to work with. If only Chychrun had stuck around, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
Any time a player finds success after a trade, it’s hard not to wonder what would have happened if they had stayed. However, even knowing what we do now, moving Chychrun was still the right decision. There’s no question he wasn’t a fit in Ottawa, and without his contract, the Senators were free to focus on their core players.
The Senators Have Plenty of Puck-Moving Defencemen
Having a strong puck-moving defenceman is necessary for success in today’s NHL. It’s like they’re a fourth forward, joining in on the rush and providing an additional source of offence. Suddenly, with a player like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, or Quinn Hughes, a team’s forecheck becomes that much more effective, especially when facing the common zone defensive strategy. That’s what Chychrun is for the Capitals and what he was supposed to be in Ottawa.
That was before the emergence of Jake Sanderson, though. While Chychrun was a Senator, Sanderson put up 32 and 38 points, but after Chychrun left, he scored 11 goals and 57 points. This season, he’s on pace to score 19 goals and 66 points. He’s also far better defensively and more consistent. Already, he has the fourth-lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) among defencemen with 100 minutes played at five-on-five this season at 1.80; Chychrun is 90th with 2.49 xGA/60.
Chychrun’s rates are actually more comparable to Chabot, who was the Senators’ top puck-mover before Sanderson. Despite the injuries, he has a 2.66 xGA/60 at five-on-five and has 10 points in 18 games, putting him on track for his fourth 40-plus point season. Meanwhile, Jordan Spence could record his first 40-point season, as the Senators’ newest blueliner has 10 points in 17 games and has found success alongside Tyler Kleven on the second pair.
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In the system, the Senators are waiting on Carter Yakemchuk to develop into a dangerous top-pairing defender, and so far, he’s right on track. In 22 games, he already has 13 points with the Belleville Senators and has been one of the best rookie defencemen in the American Hockey League (AHL). Recent first-round pick Logan Hensler also has a strong puck-moving game, although he is much better in the defensive areas. Both players are set to become impactful blueliners in the future for Ottawa.
Beyond them, Lassi Thomson has an excellent shot that made him the highest-scoring defender in Sweden last season, and Tomas Hamara showcased some incredible playmaking abilities last season with the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Even Filip Nordberg has good offensive instincts, and while all three defenders are higher risks, they could emerge as solid bottom-four NHLers if they hit. That’s a lot of players who can move the puck, putting Ottawa in a good spot for the next few seasons.
Ottawa Needed Better Defensive Support
The current defensive model relies heavily on having a defensive pair with opposite shots, as well as contrasting skillsets. The Colorado Avalanche have been the most famous example, using the right-shot, offensively-minded Cale Makar alongside the defensive left-shooting Devon Toews. Both players flourished together, with Makar hitting over 90 points and Toews becoming a perennial 50-point player for a few seasons.
When Chychrun came to Ottawa, he was advertised as a left-shot defenceman who could play the right side, and his two-way game was seen as a perfect complement to Chabot’s more offensive style. However, in practice, Chychrun was far less flexible in his positioning, forcing other defenders to play on the right side, and while it didn’t help that Chabot spent a lot of 2023-24 injured, the two weren’t the best pair. They just played too similar a style, meaning that one was going to succeed while the other took a back seat.
That’s why the Senators went with Jensen. He has the ever-important right-handed shot and plays a more physical, defensive game. That proved to be the perfect compliment for Chabot, who returned to 45 points last season while playing with his new partner and looked far better defensively. It also never made sense to have three of the top four defenders with a left shot, and with an expiring contract and a less-than-happy report with the team, he was the odd man out.
Chychrun’s Contract Would Prevent a Pinto Extension
There was little debate that Chychrun deserved around $8 million a season. At just 25 years old, he had recorded a 20-goal, 47-point campaign and promised to be even better. That’s just what a top-pairing defenceman costs, and is arguably on the lower end. But Sanderson was clearly the Senators’ best defenceman, and with him making $8.05 million per season, there was no way Chychrun was going to make that kind of money in Ottawa.
That freed up the Senators’ future cap space, which they turned around and gave to Shane Pinto with a four-year, $30 million deal at an average annual value of $7.5 million. The young centre has been a perfect pivot for Ottawa’s third line and has wiggled his way into the Senators’ core conversation. Already, he has 12 goals in 26 games, and at that pace, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him hit 40 goals by the end of the season.
It’s possible that Chychrun would have figured it out in Ottawa and emerged as the 30-goal defenceman he is now. But that likely would have cost the Senators Pinto, and having three excellent centres with him, Tim Stutzle, and Dylan Cozens locked up for the next several seasons is arguably more important than using up $24 million on three defencemen. A high-scoring defenceman is great, but so is a Stanley Cup, and the Senators are a much better team without Chychrun.
