The Detroit Red Wings need defensive reinforcements and are expected to sign a top defenseman in free agency.
PuckPedia lets users suggest trades and signings. One user predicted the Red Wings will sign Jakob Chychrun to a seven-year contract worth $8.25 million per season, totaling $57.75 million.
Chychrun is in the last year of his six-year, $27.6 million contract, which carries a $4.6 million annual salary, and he is set to receive a significant raise.
The star defenseman, currently with the Washington Capitals, is enjoying a career-best season. He has already surpassed his career-high in points and matched his career-high in goals. This season, Chychrun has tallied 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 62 games.
If Detroit signs Chychrun, he would slot in as a top or second-pair defenseman while also contributing to the power play. He would also serve as a replacement for Jeff Petry, a pending free agent who has underperformed offensively.
The Red Wings are expected to have a little over $22 million in cap space during the offseason.
Chychrun Open to Extension With the Capitals
Washington acquired Chychrun in the offseason, and he has been a strong fit with the Capitals.
With Chychrun enjoying a career year and the Capitals leading the East, he has expressed openness to signing an extension.
When asked by RMNB about extension talks, Chychrun responded, “My agent has, yeah. I don’t know how much I want to go into detail on that, but there hasn’t been a whole lot. We just started.”
Chychrun is playing on the Capitals’ second defensive pairing alongside Trevor van Riemsdyk. Since arriving in Washington, he has enjoyed his time with the team and credits the group’s close bond for their success.
“We love it here,” Chychrun said. “The group of guys is awesome. We’re playing good hockey, and it’s been a lot of fun. It didn’t take long to settle in… It’s just been a great group. A lot of guys have played well from the start of the year. I think coming in early, skating together, and everyone pulling in the same direction really helped us click.”
Chychrun has surpassed 500 games played in his NHL career.
Red Wings GM Confident Group is Starting Something Special
Detroit is fighting for a playoff spot, but even if they fall short, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is pleased with the team’s progress.
Yzerman feels Detroit has improved significantly under head coach Todd McLellan and expects that success to continue next season.
“I believe Todd is a very good coach, and he’ll do a great job moving forward with us,” Yzerman said. “He got us into the playoff race, but now we have to see if we can win hockey games—and win a lot of them. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect after the coaching change. I didn’t know what would happen, but I felt it was the right decision at the time, and I still do. It wasn’t just about getting through the season—it’s something I hope and expect to be a long-term solution.”
With ample cap space, Yzerman has stated that he will do everything possible to strengthen the roster.
