What would a potential trade package look like if the Blues traded for Jakob Chychrun?

While a Jakob Chychrun trade to Gateway City would dramatically help the St. Louis Blues in so many ways, the logistics of such a trade would, without a doubt, serve as one of the more challenging aspects. We’re talking about trying to further retool the Blues into a younger yet still competitive lineup in this scenario, but the issue is evident: Many of the Blues seasoned veterans have either full or modified no-trade clauses. 

Spending time in a place like Ottawa, where the Senators haven’t been relevant for a while, having last made the playoffs in 2016-17, probably isn’t preferred. So, a potential trade package in a hypothetical trade involving Chychrun heading to St. Louis may require some supplementation. 

But before we get into the specifics, and there are a lot of specifics here, let’s first talk about how a trade involving Chychrun would benefit the Blues and the Senators. 

The Blues will benefit from acquiring Jakob Chychrun, but…

The Ottawa Senators could be raring to start over again or at least acquire future assets, as this team has long had the talent, but they haven’t seen sound results on the ice. You would think a team with Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, and Claude Giroux leading the charge, along with Jakob Chychrun and Jake Sanderson heading up the blue line, would at least be somewhat relevant. 

So far, it hasn’t happened, and it shows us that the Sens would be better off acquiring more draft capital and prospects. But the Blues are also restructuring, so parting with their top prospects wouldn’t be the best route to go here.

For both teams to benefit, Doug Armstrong would do well to make some unconventional moves in an effort to bring Chychrun to town if he’s interested in acquiring the young, two-way defenseman. The Blues have a forward-heavy prospects pool and one with a few players nearing NHL-readiness to the point they could see the ice later in the 2024-25 season. 

This isn’t the easiest trade package to work out since, for the Senators to benefit from it, they would also need a full-time NHL player who can give them some options as opposed to just draft picks and prospects.