Player Profile: Jakob Chychrun

Who is Jakob Chychrun?

Jakob Chychrun was born March 31, 1998 in Boca Raton, Florida. The 6-foot-2 defenseman is the son of former NHL player Jeff Chychrun, who played 262 regular season games with four teams (Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Edmonton). Jakob’s uncle, Luke Richardson, played 1,417 regular-season NHL games with six teams (Edmonton, Toronto, Philadelphia, Columbus, Ottawa, and Tampa Bay) over 21 years.

Jakob was a member of the Toronto Junior Canadiens U16 AAA team during the 20131-14 season and scored 16 goals with 27 assists over 29 games. The left-shot defenseman was Kraft Cup Champion with Toronto and also won an OHL Cup Silver Medal with the Team Canada Ontario U17 team. The next season, Chychrun was the first overall draft pick of the Sarnia Sting in the 2014 OHL Draft and registered 16 goals and 17 assists in 42 games as an assistant captain.

The next season, Chychrun led Sarnia to the postseason with 11 goals and 38 assists in 62 games and contributed two goals and six assists in seven playoff games. In the World Junior Championships in 2016, Chychrun totaled a goal and four assists in seven games for Team Canada’s U18 team.

Jakob Chychrun Was Drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2016 NHL Draft

The Arizona Coyotes drafted Chychrun with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. The defenseman was described by Elite Prospects as “an unyielding two-way defenceman, Jakob Chychrun is a rising star with a toolbox bursting at the seams. Consistently displays elite four-way skating ability and is not afraid to throw his weight around physically. Plays with poise and composure through high-pressure situations and, with the puck on his stick, can direct the play up-ice. Exhibits a particularly potent shot that works its magic on the power play and on the forecheck. Excellent first pass and uses his vision and awareness to keep the puck moving in the direction of the opposition’s tail or to a teammate with more time and space”. Chychrun was the fifth defenseman selected in the draft.

Jakob Chychrun’s NHL Debut to Today

Jakob Chychrun made his NHL debut on October 15, 2016, for the Coyotes against the Philadelphia Flyers, playing 15 shifts over 12:09 of ice time and recording his first assist and NHL point. Chychrun scored his first NHL goal five days later at Montreal. The two-way defender finished his rookie season with seven goals and 13 assists in 68 regular season games and would play seven seasons in Arizona with 60 goals and 110 assists. On March 1, 2023, Chychrun was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick. Chychrun played all 82 games for Ottawa during the 2023-24 season and scored 14 goals with 27 assists. He is currently under contract for one more season with Ottawa.