Jakob Chychrun

Chychrun was traded to the Capitals in exchange for fellow defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick during the summer. The 26-year-old Chychrun compiled 16 goals and 46 points in 94 appearances over parts of two seasons with the Senators after being acquired from Arizona. He has endured more than his fair share of injury concerns throughout his career but remained healthy in 2023-24 and showcased his capabilities. In 82 games, he earned 14 goals, 41 points, 204 shots on net, 154 blocked shots and 72 hits. Chychrun could skate on the top pairing and see time on the second power-play unit during the upcoming campaign. If he can avoid injuries again, he could have a career year offensively with the Capitals.

After swirling rumors that seemingly had no end in sight, Chychrun was finally traded by the Coyotes to the Senators last season. After tallying 28 points in 36 games, he was held to just five points in 12 contests with the Senators. In his 48 total games, the 25-year-old averaged 22:42 of ice time with 144 shots on goal and 83 blocked shots. Chychrun will skate in a top-four role in Ottawa, though he may be relegated to a spot on the second power-play unit. With a full season on the ice, he should surpass his career high of 41 points, and his ceiling will be even higher if he spends most of his time on the top pair with Thomas Chabot.

Chychrun looked like an excellent fantasy pick a season ago given his expected massive usage on a terrible Coyotes team, but the whole thing was a disaster from the very start. He missed a ton of time due to injury, ultimately appearing in just 47 of Arizona's 82 games. Chychrun didn't play all that well when he was able to suit up, posting 21 points (including just one with the man advantage) and a minus-20 rating. Chychrun has been on the trade block for seemingly ever, but as of mid-August, he was still with the Coyotes. A move would be best for all parties at this point, but Arizona understandably wants a big return for the 24-year-old blueliner. Unfortunately, Chychrun's value is at an all-time low, making his situation tricky from a fantasy perspective.

Despite a shortened schedule, Chychrun rewrote the book for his career highs last year. He produced 18 goals, 23 assists and 176 shots on goal as a breakout defenseman in his fifth NHL campaign. A first-round pick from 2016, it's no surprise that Chychrun eventually found success. There's still reason to pump the brakes on expectations for the blueliner in 2021-22. The Coyotes are expected to enter a rebuild, which will likely lead to fewer scoring chances throughout the lineup. Chychrun also shot an unsustainably high 10.2 percent last year -- regression would likely put him down in the 7-to-8 percent range. He's still got 40-point potential with a power-play role, and the Florida native will likely add nearly 100 each of hits and blocked shots to stabilize his fantasy value even if his scoring stagnates.

Chychrun enjoyed a step forward in his fourth NHL season, netting 12 goals, 14 assists and 149 shots on goal in 63 appearances in 2019-20. Bolstered by a shooting percentage of 8.1, Chychrun's success may not be fully repeatable. He did see more power-play time as the campaign went on -- he recorded eight of his 26 points with the man advantage. The 22-year-old rearguard plays with a physical edge, which adds to his fantasy value. Look for Chychrun to make another leap in his development as a consistent top-four blueliner in 2020-21. He should approach 30 points, 80 hits and 100 blocked shots in a full season, although playing for the low-scoring Coyotes may make him a slight drag in plus-minus.

Chychrun struggled through injuries once again in 2018-19 but managed 20 points and 117 shots on goal in 53 contests. He's experienced a number of knee issues in a three-year career so far but should enter the 2019-20 campaign in good health. The 16th overall pick from 2016 will look to take a step forward this season in an attempt to secure top-four minutes. Chychrun has shown he can produce solid offensive output in less than a full season, giving him 30-point potential if he can stay healthy. That comes with a well-defined power-play role -- he posted eight points while averaging 2:33 per game with the man advantage last season. Chychrun could make a good sleeper pick this year despite his lengthy injury history.

Chychrun is a toolsy competitor who could eventually mature into an elite NHL defenseman. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the dual (American-Canadian) citizen exhibits supreme two-way awareness and appears cut from the same cloth as 2016 Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty of the Kings. Unfortunately, knee problems have impeded his development. Chychrun sustained a significant injury to the joint while preparing for the 2017-18 campaign -- he would then opt for knee surgery in April after providing four goals, 10 assists and a plus-2 rating over 50 contests. The lefty shooter -- a product of the OHL's Sarnia Sting -- has recorded 11 goals and 23 helpers for a 0.28 points-per-game pace heading into this third season. Early signs point to Chychrun making a full recovery before training camp rolls around, giving him sleeper appeal as a defender locked in at 20-plus minutes per game.

Offseason knee surgery clouds Chychrun's fantasy outlook heading into the 2017-18 campaign, but everything he did last year as a rookie was promising. His 1.09 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five ranked 14th among all defenseman with at least 750 minutes, and he posted 20 points despite averaging just 31 seconds of power-play time per game. Chychrun owns the size, skating ability and offensive acumen to be an excellent virtual asset down the road, and he's likely to develop into a go-to defender for the Coyotes even sooner. He's also unlikely to receive the minutes or power-play looks to show significant offensive improvement this season.