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Canadiens Draft Options: Defenceman Jakob Chychrun

By William Mccomb

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Noah Juulsen on stage with team executives after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jakob Chychrun has seen his stock fall over the course of this season and the Canadiens could take full advantage with the 9th pick.

Jakob Chychrun is another in a long line ex-NHL offspring who are looking to make their mark in the NHL. Jakob’s father, Jeff Chychrun, played 262 games with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Edmonton in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Not only that, Jakob’s uncle is Luke Richardson, a veteran defender of over 1400 NHL games.

Where as his father and uncle were known more as a bruising enforcing type of players, Jakob is more of a two-way defender who plays with a physical edge. This all around style would be a huge asset to the Canadiens prospect ranks.

Draft Rankings/Mock Draft

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TSN Mock Draft – 8th

Hockey Draft – 9th

Future Considerations – 4th

Jakob Chychrun entered 2015-16 as a consensus top 3 pick and many believed he would challenge Auston Matthews for the top spot.

Unfortunately for Chychrun, he suffered through the Sean Couturier treatment this season. Through no fault of his own really, Chychrun’s game was completely scrutinized and examined and ultimately, small flaws were found and are now being treated as game-breakers.

This often happens to consensus top picks, especially those playing in Canada where they are under a massive spotlight. Working against Chychrun as well, was the fact Auston Matthews left the spotlight almost entirely while playing in Switzerland.

With this fall for Chychrun, the Canadiens could take full advantage and get a potential steal. That would be quite the prize for the Canadiens and would be akin to what happened to Couturier, Filip Forsberg and Cam Fowler in years past.

Bill Placzek of Draft Site perfectly sums up Chychrun’s game here:

"An elite defensive prospect with a tremendous package of talent. Already physically developed, he is a terrific skater with a separation gear, and a hard cutting stride and a skating base that lets him protect the puck. Possesses a strong wrist shot and is able to stickhandle with precision and accuracy through traffic. He is polished two way player with good feet, strong skills but needs to continue to hone the defensive side of his game…With physicality in place he needs to continue maturing in his positional play. It will determine if he evolves to a impact pro or simply a good one."

Over at Elite Prospects, Joe Curtis offered similar praise:

"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…Defensively adept at tracking the puck and staying a step ahead of the opposition. Proactive with his stick and body, exerting pressure on the opposition and forcing them to make hurried decisions.All-in-all, a well-rounded two-way defender that competes with pro-level drive and makes his authoritative presence felt at both ends of the ice."

As with all defensive prospects, patience will be a key to Chychrun’s success. He has all the necessary skills to be a top 4 defender with a solid chance to be a top pairing player.

2015-16 saw Chychrun post 49 points(11 G, 38 A) in 62 games while adding another 8 points(2 G, 6 A) in 7 playoff games. All told, he posted similar numbers to 2014 1st overall pick Aaron Ekblad.

The one thing that truly has disappointed scouts was Chychrun’s inability to crack Team Canada at the World Juniors. Not appearing on that grand stage really hurt his stock and has skewed many scouts views on him.

Next: Canadiens Draft Options: Alexander Nylander

Odds Canadiens Draft Him – Medium to High

Chychrun has all the makings of an impact NHL player. Where he is drafted will truly be determined by how picks 4-6 go.

If they go as expected, Chychrun could find himself going in the 7-10 range. If Finnish defender Olli Juolevi goes in the Top 5, that could scare some GM’s into grabbing Chychrun and Russian defender Mikhail Sergachev in the 5-8 spots.

If the Canadiens are lucky enough and Chychrun falls to the 9th pick, they should be all over him. The Canadiens desperately lack quality left-handed defensive prospects. With Andrei Markov in his late-30’s and a year from free agency, the Canadiens need to truly think about finding a true replacement for him.

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