Flyers Offseason Trade Targets: Jakob Chychrun

The New Era of Orange picked up steam in 2023-24. The Philadelphia Flyers have some pieces in place for the future, and Danny Briere could look to make an impact deal this offseason if the right trade opportunity comes along.

Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet linked the Flyers to defenseman Jakob Chychrun at the NHL Trade Deadline. Will Briere strike a deal with the Ottawa Senators?

The former 16th-overall pick spent his early 20s stepping into a top-paior role for the Arizona Coyotes. His father Jeff also played parts of five NHL seasons with the Flyers from 1986-1991. 

Jakob Chychrun broke out offensively with 41 points in 56 games during the pandemic shortened 2020-21 season. However, injuries have stunted his ability to develop into a Norris Trophy caliber defenseman.

Trade rumors circled around him as the Coyotes struggled to maintain a competitive roster and a stable infrastructure. They dealt him to the Senators ahead of the trade deadline in 2023 for an upcoming first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

Chychrun didn’t fully assimilate on a talented Ottawa team that performed below expectations in 2023-24.

He scored 14 goals and added 27 assists to match his career high in scoring, but the Senators could’ve expected more in his first career 82-game season. He hadn’t played more than 68 since his rookie season in 2016-17.

A strong shot from the point is part of the appeal of Chychrun's skill set. He played significant minutes on a power-play unit that ranked 23rd in the NHL with an 18% success rate. Ottawa didn’t deploy him often on a penalty kill that finished 29th. 

The Senators became more prone to allowing scoring chances at 5-on-5 with their 26-year-old defenseman on the ice. He ranked in the 23rd percentile of qualified NHL defensemen in the most common play-driving metric, which wasn’t consistent with his numbers toward the beginning of his career with the Coyotes.

His offensive metrics didn’t offset the weakness. The 2023-24 season should push NHL teams to look at Chychrun as somewhat of a reclamation project.

He has one season remaining on his current contract with an affordable $4.6 million cap hit. Ottawa could look to deal him while they're in serious need of a reset.

The reported interest in Jakob Chychrun makes sense in a few different lenses for the Flyers. Their current blue line has some good pieces. Cam York took strides in his defensive game in 2023-24. Jamie Drysdale has raw skill that he’ll try to develop playing under John Tortorella and Brad Shaw.

However, the Flyers lack a workhorse defenseman they can deploy in a number one role.

They’ll try to emulate recent Stanley Cup winners who have leaned on a rock at the back end. Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche have logged big minutes as unquestioned top defensemen on long playoff runs.

Keith Jones has pointed out the need to build from the blue line to bring the Flyers to the same level as those recent champions.

Chychrun has the type of skill set that NHL front offices can fall in love with. His 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame helped him play a responsible defensive game in Arizona. He has the offensive potential to be a dynamic playmaker from the back end.

Defensemen develop slowly and on different trajectories than forwards. The Flyers believe Brad Shaw is the best in the business at coaching defensemen.

Is that skill set enough for the Flyers to look past his downswing last season with the hope for a reclamation project to blossom at age 26?

The reported discussions at the trade deadline should encourage Flyers fans to keep an eye on Jakob Chychrun and the Senators.

The Flyers have turned Owen Tippett into one of their best forwards just over two seasons after the Florida Panthers didn't have a ton of value for him. Briere also had reported interest in Trevor Zegras, another potential reclamation project who could benefit from a change of scenery. 

The rebuilding GM should aim high to correct the lack of top-end talent on Philadelphia’s roster. Thinking outside the box to land an underperforming player with star potential is an intriguing strategy worth exploring.

However, Jakob Chychrun would likely require a substantial return package for a player with uncertainty attached. The Flyers would risk overpaying for a player with a history of injuries who would expect a pay raise next offseason if he did succeed in 2024-25 with the change of scenery.

Does a potential number one defenseman like Chychrun fit the rebuilding plan in Philadelphia?

The Flyers have a clear need for additional players with dynamic talent to play at the top of a contending NHL lineup. They've chosen not to gut the roster with the intention of picking at the top of the draft to land that talent.

The strategy has its benefits, but it also requires exploring risks to offset the lack of top five or ten picks in the first round. It might require some sacrifices to the heavy emphasis on culture by retaining players with strong intangible value.

The Senators could pursue veteran players to improve the culture of an underperforming team. A reunion between Scott Laughton and Ottawa alternate captain Claude Giroux might appeal to their intangible needs.

Briere would probably need to send additional sweeteners in a package surrounding Laughton. However, the Flyers should be willing to part with a player with legitimate trade value for the greater sake of landing dynamic players.

Jakob Chychrun fits Philadelphia's needs.

The proverbial cup of coffee is a common strategy that will never disappear from professional sports. It’s practical for a player to leave a team after a successful stint for a more suitable fit if his best years are behind him. The Philadelphia Flyers are no exception to cup of coffee veterans.

The Flyers have successfully acquired veterans like Chris Pronger, Jeremy Roenick, and Keith Primeau as established players with long track records. Their Flyers careers were significant parts of their overall body of work, however.

Patrick Sharp, Justin Williams, and some other successful NHL players also broke into the league with the Flyers before achieving their greatest success elsewhere. The “cup of coffee” refers more to veterans with short periods in Philadelphia paling in comparison to their overall body of work.

The Flyers developed a reputation for aggressively acquiring big names during the Ed Snider era, but some of the names didn't replicate the production of their prime years.

Darryl Sittler is one of the best Toronto Maple Leafs ever, but not many think of his later years in Philadelphia. He paved the way for other Hall of Famers like Jaromir Jagr, Paul Coffey, and Dale Hawerchuk. In fact, five of the top 22 scorers in NHL history played for the Flyers at some point in their careers. Mark Recchi is the only one of the group who built his legacy mainly with the Flyers.

See how many of the proverbial cups of coffee you remember. Which ones were blips on the radar for players you remember from careers with other NHL teams?

The other three major sports franchises in Philadelphia also have their fair share of memorable and/or forgettable cups of coffee. 

A reunion with the Penguins looked inevitable when Jaromir Jagr returned to North America for the 2011-12 season at age 39. The former Philadelphia nemesis had other ideas.

Jagr deliberately passed up an opportunity to return to the franchise where he reached NHL stardom and opted to sign with their arch-rival. Embarrassing Pittsburgh got him into the good graces of Flyers fans immediately.

He played one season on the top line with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell, finishing with 54 points in 73 games. The Flyers defeated the Penguins in the opening round of the playoffs in one of the wildest series in NHL history.

Jagr then climbed to the second spot in NHL history in scoring behind only Wayne Gretzky in stints with five other NHL teams after his 40th birthday. His time with the Flyers certainly wasn’t the highlight of his absurdly long hockey career, but it was one of many great memories.

The Flyers sent their upcoming 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-round picks and Maxime Ouellet to the Capitals on deadline day in March 2002 to acquire 39-year-old Adam Oates. 

Oates had established himself as one of the best passers in the NHL in 16 seasons with the Red Wings, Blues, Bruins, and Capitals. However, the Flyers didn’t properly evaluate an impending unrestricted free agent well past his prime. The Senators stifled the Flyers in the opening round of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, holding them to just two goals in a five-game series.

Oates walked away in free agency after the playoff exit. He sits eighth in NHL history in assists, but 19 games in orange and black certainly weren’t the highlight of his career.

Jeremy Roenick spent three seasons with the Flyers, who decided to bring in his long-time friend and linemate Tony Amonte at the trade deadline in 2003.

Amonte spent 12 seasons as a top-line player with the Rangers and the Blackhawks. He took a step back in orange and black with less production in his early 30s. He delivered a respectable 68 points in 93 games in a serviceable role toward the end of his career.

The ripple effects of the Eric Lindros trade in 1992 impacted the NHL and the Flyers for decades. Peter Forsberg proved himself as the crown jewel of the package Philadelphia sent to Quebec for Lindros.

Forsberg reached the top tier of the NHL with two Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy after Quebec moved to Colorado. His run in the late 1990s and early 2000s convinced the Flyers to right a wrong after the 2004-05 lockout. They thought they signed the best player in the world, but Forsberg experienced a lot of injury problems in Philadelphia.

The crafty Swede notched well over a point per game in parts of two seasons, but he didn’t have the prolonged success the Flyers hoped for when they signed him at age 32. They dealt him to the Nashville Predators in 2007 as part of a series of moves that helped them land Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell.

Forsberg retired with 885 points in 708 NHL games. His injury issues limited a Hall of Fame career while Lindros experienced similar (although more extreme) limitations.

6-foot-5 defenseman Derian Hatcher became a rock on the blue line for the Dallas Stars during an excellent run in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He had some left in the tank at age 33 for three seasons in Philadelphia.

However, Bobby Clarke and the Flyers didn’t properly evaluate the direction of the NHL after the 2004-05 lockout. Rule changes lessened the value of big defensemen like Hatcher and fellow cup of coffee free agent Mike Rathje.

Hatcher had a decent stint with the Flyers, but he flourished more during an era that had already passed before the famous Shanahan Summit.

The Flyers acquired Paul Coffey and an additional draft pick from the Hartford Whalers in December 1996 for Kevin Haller and two picks.

The 35-year-old defenseman had won two Norris Trophies as a member of the Oilers dynasty of the 1980s. With the benefit of passing to Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, he finished one shy of tying the highest single-season point total in NHL history among defensemen with 138 in 1984-85.

Coffey wasn’t anywhere close to the same puck-moving catalyst with a lengthy list of league records among defensemen by the time he got to the Flyers. A combination of age and deflated offensive numbers as the style of the 1980s shrunk in the distance held Coffey to eight goals and 47 assists in 94 games for Philadelphia.

The Hockey Hall of Famer remarkably played for three more NHL teams after the Flyers before retiring at age 39.

Flyers fans got to know Vincent Lecavalier too well with Tampa Bay during the 2004 Eastern Conference Final. The Lightning went on to win the Stanley Cup, and Lecavalier grew into an NHL superstar despite a rocky development under John Tortorella.

Paul Holmgren signed a 32-year-old Lecavalier to a five-year contract in 2013. The lucrative deal quickly became an albatross. The Flyers moved on from Peter Laviolette and removed a potential system fit for Lecavalier.

He played 133 games in three seasons without enough offensive production to justify a significant cap hit. A former 52-goal scorer even faced demotion to the fourth line at one point. Ron Hextall dumped the contract to the Kings in 2016, and Lecavalier played just 42 more NHL games after a rough stint in Philadelphia.

The Flyers geared up for a playoff run in March 1996 by dealing Craig MacTavish for Dale Hawerchuk in a one-for-one swap. Hawerchuk had become a legend of the franchise formerly known as the Winnipeg Jets, and he spent five good seasons with the Sabres in the early 1990s.

Hawerchuck got off to a fast start with 20 points in 16 games in the remainder of the regular season. He added 12 goals and 22 assists in 51 games for the Flyers in 1996-97. While it didn’t match the production he posted in his prime, he played a serviceable role in Philadelphia.

The aging center played in 17 playoff games during the run to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final but sat out the decisive loss to the Red Wings and never played in the NHL again.

The goaltender carousel had become a major storyline in Philadelphia by 2007. Paul Holmgren plugged the hole between the pipes as part of an excellent retool that helped the Flyers back into Stanley Cup contention after a disastrous season in 2006-07.

Martin Biron provided above average goaltending for parts of three seasons. He started 23 playoff games with the Flyers, but the most sustained success of his NHL career came during his 20s with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Ottawa Senators drafted Alexandre Daigle with the 1st-overall pick in 1993. The expected future superstar made a regrettable comment by asserting that nobody remembers the 2nd-overall pick.

The Hartford Whalers picked a defenseman by the name of Chris Pronger second. Flyers fans will never forget Pronger’s role during the run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, but they might forget the 68 games Daigle played in orange and black in 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Daigle bounced around to six NHL teams that never came close to meeting high expectations.

Chuck Fletcher aggressively traded three draft picks for Tony DeAngelo and a 7th-rounder in 2022. The franchise was in a state of turmoil, and the deal represented a disconnect between the front office’s short-term plan and the need to move toward a new era.

DeAngelo was never a shutdown defenseman, and he struggled in his own end with the Flyers. His excellent ability as a puck mover and capable power-play skills didn’t impact his only season with his favorite childhood team.

The South Jersey native clashed with John Tortorella late in the 2022-23 season, and he moved back to the Hurricanes in better position to succeed after a forgettable stint in Philadelphia.

Niskanen played 12 seasons and 125 playoff games through 2018-19. He had helped the Washington Capitals win their first Stanley Cup just one year before they sent him to the Flyers for Radko Gudas.

The one-for-one swap worked smoothly in 2019-20. Niskanen played the right side next to a young Ivan Provorov on the top defensive pair during Philadelphia’s resurgent regular season.

Niskanen wore down from the challenges of the pandemic and the 2020 playoff bubble. He retired after one season with the Flyers, who struggled to replace him and allowed Provorov to slip out of favor without the steady veteran beside him.

Michael Del Zotto looked like a blossoming puck mover on the Rangers blue line early in his career. His development had slowed before the Flyers signed him to a low-risk deal entering the 2014-15 season.

He played a serviceable depth role in parts of three seasons, but most hockey fans will remember him in one of his seven other uniforms or for his unexpected friendship with adult film star Lisa Ann.

Hockey fans inevitably hate players on rival teams despite the fact that they’d love the same players on their favorite teams. Maxime Talbot provided a classic example during his short stint with the Flyers.

He had silenced the Philadelphia crowd with a momentum-shifting fight in the opening round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs and later scored the decisive goal to help the Penguins win their first ring in the Sidney Crosby era.

The Flyers couldn’t help themselves from stealing a grinder like Talbot in free agency in 2011. He played a solid gritty game as a penalty killer and a depth scorer for parts of three seasons. He continued an admirable professional career with two more NHL teams and stints in the AHL and KHL.

Philadelphia fans might’ve liked his game in a Flyers uniform, but they can’t pretend his legacy lives anywhere more than Pittsburgh.

John Vanbiesbrouck developed into a strong NHL goaltender with the Rangers through the 1980s. He couldn’t overtake Mike Richter when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, but he helped the Florida Panthers to a Cup appearance of their own in 1996.

The Flyers signed “The Beezer” in 1998 12 years after he won his only career Vezina Trophy. The declining veteran gave way to Brian Boucher by the time the Flyers made their run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final in 2000.

The final player in NHL history to skate without a helmet won four Stanley Cups before he began his career with the Flyers at age 36.

Craig MacTavish was a strong defensive forward who helped Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers take down the Flyers in the 1987 Stanley Cup Final. He played 100 games for Philadelphia after his prime had already passed, registering just 25 points.

The Flyers sent him to the St. Louis Blues for Dale Hawrchuk in March 1996.