NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Jakob Chychrun

Get to Know: Jakob Chychrun

Date of Birth: March 31, 1998
Place of Birth: Boca Raton, Florida (Canadian dual-citizen)
Ht: 6′-2″ Wt: 205 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Defense
Team (League): Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Future Considerations

“A bit inconsistent at times and subject to scrutiny much of the year, I found Chychrun’s offensive game was held back as he was playing more of the defense leader role. A poised driver of the play, Chychrun has incredible defensive awareness, a cannon of a shot and the ability to dominate the game. Has the makings of a top-pairing, two-way defenseman who can step in immediately and have an impact at the NHL level.”

Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects

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. 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.

What BSN Avalanche sees

He’s really quite good at his ability to use his strength, size, and speed.  One play that stood out to me is when he got the puck below the net, then used his body to keep an opponent at bay before leaving him in the dust, and finished it off with a great pass to a teammate.  I found myself wondering “Oh, what forward is that?” before he turned around and I saw a #5 on his jersey.

He has the vision to see his teammates, which is good. Unfortunately, he also tries to occasionally force passes to them, which is not.  It lad to a number of turnovers, but seems like something he can grow out of.

Highlights

NHL Potential

There is very little doubt Chychrun will be in the NHL. The only question is where. He has the potential to become a dominant 2-way defenseman with his strong shot, skating, passing, and hockey sense.

However, due to his more defensive role and tendency to try to do too much, some scouts question his offensive instincts and scoring upside.   Will he be a big-time scorer at the next level? Probably not.  But his well-rounded toolset makes him an attractive prospect and should translate into a solid NHL career, assuming the shoulder he had surgery on this year holds up.

Expected Draft Position

A bit of a let-down year in comparison to expectations has dropped him from the consideration for the 3rd Overall spot down into the #6-14th Overall range. His competition with the two other highly touted D – Mikhail Sergachev and Olli Juolevi – has been tight all season, so he could easily be the third defenseman selected. Even so, it’d be unexpected to see him drop out of the top 15.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

“We have too many good, young defensemen” is a statement no team will ever say, especially a team like Colorado that’s struggled so greatly on defense. While Chychrun might be physically ready for the NHL, the organization would likely choose to bring him along slowly, allowing ample time for his development and Bigras and Zadorov to become comfortable at the NHL level.  It would also give him a chance to work out some kinks in his game, such as learning when NOT to pass.

Yet if he did hit his potential in the next few years, Chychrun could become the missing #1 defensemen that the team has been searching for since 2001. If he’s around at #10 Overall, Sakic will likely have a hard time saying no to the big, mobile, toolsy blueliner.