It took 18 months, but Jakob Chychrun finally got traded — and arguably to a team that needs him more than any other team in the NHL.
It’s yet another big domino falling in what has been a wild couple of weeks as the trade market for defensemen plays itself out.
Let’s walk through it all again.
The Bruins are believed to have shown interest in Chychrun about three or four weeks ago, but when it didn’t look like there was a path to a deal given the price, the B’s shifted gears toward Vladislav Gavrikov in Columbus. The Blue Jackets thought they pretty much had a deal with the Bruins around two weeks ago, but the Bruins told the Jackets they needed more time, presumably to shed cap space.
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In the interim, Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan sent a note to his colleagues around Feb. 19, saying he was ready to listen on pending unrestricted free agent Dmitry Orlov and, well, that obviously changed everything. The B’s pivoted to what they felt was a better option and got a deal done on Feb. 23. Great pickup for Boston.
That left Columbus fuming. And scrambling. There are only so many first-round picks available.
The Athletic: Blue Jackets’ trade involving D Vladislav Gavrikov falls through … so now what?#NHLBruins swing big deal with #ALLCaps for Dmitry Orlov leaves #CBJ at square one with a week to go before the NHL trade deadline.https://t.co/ugY6UmSndn
The Jackets last Friday began re-establishing trade talks with previous suitors on Gavrikov, reaching out to the likes of Edmonton, Los Angeles and Toronto.
The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, were already engaged by then with Chicago on defenseman Jake McCabe, although that deal didn’t come together until this past Monday.
The Oilers showed some interest in Gavrikov, but it was clear to Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen that Edmonton viewed Gavrikov as Plan B or Plan C. Turns out, it was certainly Plan C.
That’s because the Oilers had been engaged in on-again, off-again conversations with Arizona on Chychrun for a two-week period leading up to Tuesday. Talks really heated up between the Oilers and Coyotes on Sunday and Monday, and at one point, both sides felt they were pretty close to something. But that deal fell apart, in large part because the Coyotes simply didn’t want to take money back in the form of a player contract. Even after moving Jesse Puljujarvi to Carolina on Tuesday morning, the Oilers couldn’t make a Chychrun deal work without sending at least one player contract back.
My sense is that Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong was willing to keep working at it with the Oilers, but Edmonton GM Ken Holland decided he couldn’t risk waiting until too close to Friday’s deadline and miss out on the other defenseman he was having conversations on.
That would be Mattias Ekholm. Holland phoned Predators GM David Poile on Feb. 23 to get the ball rolling on that one. In that conversation, Poile informed Holland that the price for Ekholm would have to include at least a first-round pick this year (with Nashville hosting the draft, that was important), plus prospect Reid Schaefer, drafted at No. 32 last summer. The Oilers weren’t enamored with having Schaefer part of things, but they kept the conversation going with the Predators while also having parallel conversations going with Arizona on Chychrun over the past week.
Once Holland informed Armstrong on Tuesday that, once and for all, he was out on Chychrun, he closed the deal on Ekholm with Poile. Having to include Tyson Barrie in that trade for cap reasons was not an easy decision, either. Barrie was a key member of the Oilers’ power play and a popular teammate. But the overall price tag was worth it for Holland, to get a veteran top-four defenseman like Ekholm, who the Oilers hope will help stabilize their five-on-five game defensively.
Why Mattias Ekholm is a big addition for an Oilers team that needs to win now – The Athletic https://t.co/LTFW7ibdrV
Tuesday was also the last time the Coyotes and Kings spoke on Chychrun. I would love to know how many times those two front offices chatted over the past 12-plus months on the defenseman, who always seemed destined for L.A., with the Kings’ glaring need on the left side. But it never happened. A Kings source told me Wednesday night that there certainly had been many discussions with Arizona about Chychrun, but it never felt like they were that close on a trade.
And, of course, the reason that Tuesday was the Kings’ last conversation with Arizona on Chychrun is that Los Angeles was looking to cement its deal with Columbus for Gavrikov (and goalie Joonas Korpisalo) late Tuesday night.
The two clubs had actually been talking on and off for quite a while, but things got more serious Monday and Tuesday when the idea of having both the defenseman and the goalie in the deal got introduced. Good job by Kekalainen, in the end, getting his first-round pick, albeit a conditional one, given the circumstances around his failed deal with Boston. He scrambled pretty well.
And there you have it. The Kings, Oilers and Bruins — all potential Chychrun destinations — one by one went by the wayside as options for Arizona as they filled their defensive needs.
That being the case, it’s no surprise that over the past 24 to 48 hours, things heated up between Arizona and Ottawa.
There were other teams that talked to Arizona over the past week, as well, including Washington, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Columbus.
But the great appeal in the end for Arizona in gaining traction with the Senators was two-fold. First, Ottawa didn’t need to send money back in a player contract. That was huge for Arizona. And second, the Coyotes felt Ottawa’s first-round pick, while top-five protected, was more appealing than any other pick offered. That pick could end up anywhere from No. 6 to No. 16 — unless, of course, Ottawa makes the playoffs, which, well, is possible.
As others have reported, the Coyotes had a potential trade with Columbus involving Chychrun fall apart at the draft in Montreal last summer, which included the Jackets’ No. 12 pick in the first round. So in the end, the Coyotes end up probably with a similar first-round pick from Ottawa. But they don’t end up with two first-round picks, which was part of the Coyotes’ ask in a Chychrun trade for well over a year.
From a Senators’ perspective, the price certainly softened from earlier conversations with Arizona, in which the names of prospects like Ridly Greig and Tyler Kleven were part of the Coyotes’ ask, on top of the rest of the draft-pick package. It was deemed way too high a price by the Senators, which is why the organization thought it was out of the Chychrun sweepstakes as late as last week. Out, well, until the price dropped.
And, obviously, it did. Sens GM Pierre Dorion showed good patience, and he ends up filling a glaring hole on his blue line at a price he can live with. And while it’s a boost in the short term to a team that’s been playing great hockey, the real impact of the deal for the Senators will be felt over the next few years.
Pierre Dorion has tried to preach patience to the Ottawa fan base.
He used that same attribute to pry Jakob Chychrun out of Arizona.
By acquiring the star defenceman, the Sens can actually dream about the playoffs next year.
What a wild two weeks on the defenseman trade market, and that’s not even delving into the surprising trade of Filip Hronek to Vancouver from Detroit on Wednesday, or Shayne Gostisbehere ending up in Carolina; or Luke Schenn, Jake McCabe and Erik Gustafsson going to Toronto; or Jack Johnson heading back to Colorado.
And we’re probably not done.
But imagine for a moment how differently the past two weeks could have gone.
Gavrikov was nearly a Bruin. And where would that have left Orlov? And Chychrun easily could have ended up in Edmonton or L.A. What would that have meant for Gavrikov and Ekholm?
So many overlapping trade conversations around a small group of blueliners. Let’s see how it pans out come playoff time.
(Top photo of Jakob Chychrun: Zac BonDurant / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
