3 trades that must happen in the NHL offseason but won’t

Jakob Chychrun will likely remain stuck in Ottawa for the foreseeable future

What the Ottawa Senators are doing hasn’t worked, and it’s a travesty because this organization has so much talent that, on paper, they should be at least somewhat competitive with their Atlantic Division rivals. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, and others should have taken this team further than being on the brink of playoff elimination toward the end of March, but it hasn’t happened. 

The Senators could have moved Chychrun at the deadline and gotten a premium for the blueliner. But they kept him in town, and with a full season as part of a young, but underperforming core, it’s tough to see him moving this summer unless the Senators decide to embark on an all-out rebuilding campaign. 

Thanks to Chychrun’s performance, the Senators still have time to warrant a premium return, as he has 36 points and 12 goals in 71 matchups, putting him on pace to secure over a half-point per game. Beyond that, he’s fifth on the team in offensive points shares among active players, and he still contributes defensively with 135 blocks or nearly two per contest. 

You can make the case that Ottawa should move more than just Chychrun this summer and start over. But until they send more than just Vladimir Tarasenko elsewhere - traded to Florida earlier this month - expect what could be a top trade piece to remain with a struggling Ottawa Senators franchise.