Jakob Chychrun, D
This time last season, or even at the 2024 (but not the 2023) trade deadline, I would have been all-in on someone like Jakob Chychrun. In 2023-24, the blueliner finally proved he can stay healthy and appear in all 82 games. He put up solid numbers offensively, and such play is something the Sabres could have used this season, thanks to their scoring difficulties.
But Kevyn Adams learned the hard way last offseason and well into the 2023-24 season what happens when you have so many blueliners vying for spots with the big club. Besides that, Chychrun has far more upside than Henri Jokiharju, Jacob Bryson, and Riley Stillman have, so it’s not the kind of player you put onto the third-pairing. And he would also be joining a team that recently traded for Bowen Byram.
If Adams were looking to acquire a player in a trade that would make no sense, he should go ahead and do all he can to land Chychrun. And we don’t need to limit this section exclusively for the 26-year-old, as it can also apply to any defenseman who may find themselves on the move via trade this summer.
Adams doesn’t need to create a controversy in any position group or rotation, and the only way Chychrun should logistically be on the table is if he trades another defenseman first.