SENSNEWS

It’s no secret that defenseman Jakob Chychrun of the Ottawa Senators is the most likely candidate to be shipped off the blue line this year.

As it stands right now, all signs point to Chychrun being unwilling to sign an extension with the Senators, and with Steve Staios and the management team wanting to create change in the lineup, he is a prime trade candidate with one year remaining on his contract.

So with Chychrun most likely on the way out, I decided to look at five possible trades that make sense for the Senators defenseman.

3 Potential Jakob Chychrun Mock Trades

LA Kings Receive: Jakob Chychrun With Extension

Ottawa Senators Receive: Rights To Matt Roy, Arthur Kaliyev, 2025 2nd Round Pick

This trade makes a ton of sense if the Senators believe they can sign Matt Roy to a contract extension.

However, it is also dependent on the Kings moving on from the defenseman to make room for Brandt Clarke on the NHL roster.

The Kings would be able to bolster the left side of their defense with Chychrun, helping to balance their defensive core much better.

Additionally, they would have some long-term security with Chychrun as the trade is dependent on him being willing to sign an extension upon being sent to LA.

For Ottawa, they get the chance to sign a solid top-four right-shot defender who can help for the next several years.

Roy has put up great results with the Los Angeles Kings over the last several seasons, and he is the type of player that the Senators need to help bolster their defense.

With no extension in place, the Senators also get some bonus security by bringing in a 2025 second-round pick as well as Arthur Kaliyev, who has been on the trade block for the last season and a half.

Kaliyev, too, has connections to the Senators’ management, making him a possible target for the group.

If Ottawa is unable to sign Matt Roy to an extension, this trade would definitely be a big loss. However, bringing him in would make it an absolute win in my books and should be beneficial for both franchises.

Winnipeg Jets Receive: Jakob Chychrun

Ottawa Senators Receive: Nikolaj Ehlers

This is a trade option that has been discussed by fans over the past few weeks.

Both players have been placed on the trade block, and there are a lot of similarities between the two of them, both contract-wise and time frame-wise.

At 28 years old and 26 years old respectively, both players are entering their prime and should be able to provide at a high level for the next several seasons.

Both players also have one year remaining on their respective contracts before becoming UFAs in the 2025-2026 offseason.

Nikolaj Ehlers never really received the opportunity he likely deserved with the Winnipeg Jets.

He was often placed below players like Kyle Connor in the depth chart, and his overall minutes were low considering the caliber of player that he is.

A change of scenery should go a long way in helping him take the next step in his career, and the Jets see this as well, having him on the radar to be shipped out.

The same can be said about Jakob Chychrun, who has slid down the Senators’ depth chart but still has a lot to give as a top-four defender in the NHL.

Chychrun would finally be on a playoff team in his career with the Winnipeg Jets, who are a perennial playoff franchise in the Western Conference.

The opportunity to play in the postseason on a contending team should be enticing enough to convince him to move to Winnipeg.

Both players signing an extension upon the trade would be ideal; however, I don’t see that being the case.

Neither situation is perfect for either player, and it would not be surprising whatsoever if they both wanted to test the waters and wait a year before committing to any sort of long-term deal.

But on the surface level, this trade fills holes for both teams. The Jets need to add a top-four defender, and Chychrun would easily slot into their group and fill that need.

The Senators need to add some left-wing depth to play behind Brady Tkachuk, and Ehlers is more than capable of playing in a top-six role night in and night out.

St. Louis Blues Receive: Jakob Chychrun With Extension, Anton Forsberg, Erik Brannstrom

Ottawa Senators Receive: Jordan Binnington, Brandon Saad, 2024 2nd (TOR)

The final trade sees Jakob Chychrun heading to the St. Louis Blues in a deal that would bring the Ottawa Senators a much-needed starting goaltender.

With Joel Hofer showcasing himself as an elite NHL goaltender, Binnington has become somewhat expendable for the Blues.

Binnington does have a modified trade clause, so he would have to be willing to come to Ottawa.

For the purpose of this scenario, we’re going to assume that he waived it. In this case, the Senators would be adding about $1.5 million to their salary cap; however, they would be filling two positional needs.

Brandon Saad has found his name in trade rumors this season as well, as the Blues look for some salary cap relief.

Saad perfectly fits what the Senators’ management team has been looking for as a veteran forward who can still provide in a bottom-six role.

He is slightly overpaid, making $4.5 million for the next two seasons; however, he still has some quality play left in him and is likely still worth $3 to $3.5 million as a player. The Blues also do the Senators a bit of a favor by taking the last year of Anton Forsberg’s contract.

Erik Brannstrom is a bit of a throw-in in this deal. However, he does bring some more mobility to the Blues’ blue line, which is something they have been lacking in recent years.

Although he doesn’t move the needle much in this trade, I do feel he would be an intriguing piece for St. Louis to at least try out.

Chychrun helps give a boost to the Blues’ left side of the defense, where they are quite thin. He could probably step in right away and become the team’s top pair left defender, which is the type of opportunity that he needs to thrive as an NHLer.

Whether or not he would be willing to sign an extension upon trade is the big question; however, for the purpose of this article, we will once again assume that this did happen.

If it didn’t, the Senators would need to add another piece or two to get this trade done, in my opinion.