The Toronto Maple Leafs need to trade for Jakob Chychrun immediately.
Jakob Chychrun has requested a trade to a contender and the Toronto Maple Leafs should capitalize on this.
As it stands right now, Toronto is missing three starting defenseman from their line-up. Timothy Liljegren and Jake Muzzin are both injured, meanwhile Rasmus Sandin is still without a contract.
During a media session, Chychrun had the following comments about his future: (via: Twitter)
"“I don’t want these years to keep going by, and be ten, twelve years in the league not having a real good chance or shot at, not only at the playoffs, but winning the Stanley Cup…I think the team understands that mutual position right now for me to get moved on to a situation with a chance to win, a team that is fighting for the Stanley Cup. And for them here to get assets. I understand how rebuilds work, and I think it could be mutually beneficial.”"
The key word he mentions in this statement is that he wants an opportunity to win. He doesn’t want to play for a rebuilding franchise, but instead, he wants to use his skills to help a team win a Stanley Cup.
You may laugh and joke about the Leafs never winning a playoff series, but they are a Stanley Cup contender and could use his help.
Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Trade for Chychrun
Not only is Chychrun a 6-foot-2, 210 pound, who’s only 24-years-old and has a previous career-high of 18 goals in a season, but he’s locked into a contract worth $4.6M AAV for the next three seasons.
That cap-hit is unbelievable for the Leafs and the team needs to capitalize on his availability.
So, if you’re the Leafs, what do you give up for someone of his ability?
Well, that’s easy.
Rasmus Sandin is sitting out and he plays the same position as Chychrun. If he wants guaranteed ice time, Phoenix is the place to be.
Sandin alone probably won’t be enough, so if Toronto includes a first-round pick and another prospect, so be it. Toronto doesn’t have any time to waste this year, especially since Liljegren and Muzzin are already injured, so they need to act and get someone who can help them.
Chychrun would replace Muzzin in the Leafs top-four and give them a seriously dangerous left-side. His offensive output would rise immediately, playing on the Leafs power-play and he’d be a welcomed defenseman on this roster.
Jordie Benn and Victor Mete shouldn’t play a game with this team this year. Instead, Toronto needs to act and make their defensive-group better, to give themselves the best possibile opportunity to win this year.