Buffalo Sabres fans should feel better about not trading for Chychrun
By Sion Fawkes
When the Buffalo Sabres landed Riley Stillman in favor of Jakob Chychrun, fans were up in arms. In hindsight, they should heave collective sighs of relief.
Last week, when the Ottawa Senators landed former Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, most of the Buffalo Sabres fanbase threw up their arms in frustration when they saw the compensation. Immediately, I theorized that the Yotes most likely asked for far more compensation from Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams than they did from Ottawa.
You only need to look at the state of the two prospect pools in the Sabres and Senators respective systems to have thought the same. Buffalo’s pool remains one of the NHL’s best, while Ottawa’s is in the bottom-third. And following Friday’s trade deadline, my theory, and the theory of others in Sabes circles, became a reality, per Adams’ statements.
Arizona indeed wanted more from the Sabres than the Senators for the talented, yet injury-prone Chychrun. Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News believed Arizona was looking for something along the line of 2023 first round picks Matt Savoie and Jiri Kulich. But for a team building for long-term success like the Sabres, they weren’t about to give up two of their most promising prospects.
Buffalo Sabres weren’t letting key prospects go to land Chychrun
Trading for Chychrun could have thrown a wrench into the Sabres long-term plans. While they have plenty of cap space to pay Chychrun, his contract is up in two seasons, and his total salary increases in that timeframe.
Buffalo will also seek to extend a few core players when they become eligible, with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Peyton Krebs as the next in line. There is also the possibility that Chychrun’s injury woes continue. If that becomes the case in Ottawa, then a hypothetical trade that could have involved Savoie or Kulich for Chychrun, among other assets would have looked even worse.
Related Story. Chychrun’s price may have been different for the Sabres. light
Overall, the fans should feel better about Adams staying away from Chychrun, given his implications over Arizona’s asking price. They can now use the money to hang onto their current assets, and continue to build for long-term success that in hindsight, will win the fanbase over.
(Contract info provided by Cap-Friendly)
Source: Sabres notebook: Matt Savoie, Jiri Kulich unavailable in talks for Jakob Chychrun by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
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