1/26/22 | 8:59PM: Larry Brooks writes that the Rangers reported interest in Chychrun has been “overstated.” (NY Post)
1/25/22 | 7:14 PM: Elliotte Friedman writes at 30 Thoughts that he believes the Rangers are “out” on Chychrun right now. (Sportsnet)
He said on the NHL Network that he thinks the Rangers and Kings have “backed off.”
6:20 PM: On TSN, Darren Dreger did not list the Rangers as one of the teams with “serious” interest in Chychrun. He mentioned “LA, Florida, Boston, Anaheim and the St. Louis Blues.”
1/22/22 | On 32 Thoughts on Saturday, Jeff Marek said “a young player, prospect and a first-round pick and they do have that package from one team in the NHL as we speak now, essentially, two former first-round pick players and a first round draft pick, but that auction does continue. LA, Anaheim, Boston, Florida, who may very much be the team to watch during all of this, the Rangers are in on it and have offered a package which includes Vitali Kravtsov, and the Columbus Blue Jackets interested in the services of Chycrun as well.”
Marek tweeted that he isn’t sure Kravtsov “moves the needle” for Arizona.
1/21/22 | 3:50 PM: Marek said on his radio show on Friday that he thinks that if the Rangers are looking at someone like Chychrun then “definitely a name like Kaapo Kakko would have to be involved.”
11:42 AM: On the 1/21 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek spoke about Jakob Chychrun and said “I’ve heard the Rangers and had people disagree that it doesn’t make sense for them, but I’ve heard it.”
Marek added that he had heard the Rangers and Chychrun as well.
Chychrun, 23, is a left-shot defenseman and has three more years after this one on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million.
Arizona is reportedly looking for a ” good young player, a high-end prospect and a first-round pick” for Chychrun. (Sportsnet)
Friedman then said “I think Chris Drury is going to be one of the GMs to watch, I really do. The Rangers made a lot of changes last year because, first of all, what were one of the issues people said about the Rangers last year? They didn’t stand up for each other…and they are obviously a very different team, although, I’ve gotta tell you, Jeff Gorton did extend Kreider and he brought Trouba in there, so he did bring some guys with beef and Trouba has been clobbering people this year. Their identity has really changed, they are going really well. I think Drury and Jim Dolan, I think they could take a big swing. I think they are in on Chychrun, I’m glad you’ve heard it too because I’ve had some people who said to me that it didn’t make sense and maybe the swing won’t be Chychrun, but I think the Rangers are preparing to do something.”
Marek then said, “if you read the tea leaves out there it does very much feel like they want one forward and one defenseman, that in their mind they are one shy of each. I could see Chychrun, I could also see Jake DeBrusk up front and you know who else I could see, and this not exactly breaking news considering how much Gerard Gallant liked this player, but I think we can all see Reilly Smith there if Vegas has to make difficult decisions to get Jack Eichel into the lineup when he joins the mix. I can see the Rangers making a big move for a big forward and if they can a big move for a defenseman.”
Friedman then said, “I hear a lot of noise around what teams think the Rangers are going to be involved in.”
Adam Rotter: On the surface, it doesn’t make a ton of sense. The Rangers have a ton of young defensemen in the organization and cap space is limited the next few seasons. Chychrun would bolster the Rangers defense and likely see K’Andre Miller go to Arizona as part of the return. If Arizona is trading their best player/defenseman they would require someone with as high an upside as Miller and Chychrun would take Miller’s spot not just now, but for the next few years. It wouldn’t be a shock if Filip Chytil was part of this as well to help offset some of the cap space Chychrun would take up.
Still, this seems a little far-fetched to me and may be a case of the Rangers looking to add a depth defenseman and instead being connected to the top defenseman on the market. By no means do I think it’s impossible that Chychrun ends up a Ranger, it just seems tough to see how it could all come together.