Observations:

October 2016- Chychrun has made the Coyotes, and will begin the season with the big club. While Michael Stone and Kevin Connauton on the injured reserve helped, Chychrun fully earned this with an excellent camp. Whether it's beyond a nine-game trial is another question but so far Chychrun has been very impressive. Keith Duggan

October 2016- Jakob Chychrun has had an outstanding main camp and preseason for the Coyotes so far, making it very difficult for the team to send the 18-year-old back to the OHL. "He has been one of our better defenseman," Coyotes general manager John Chayka recently said. In Chychrun's four preseason games so far he has played 22:51, 23:56, 24:12 and 26:18 – not exactly 18-year-old rookie minutes. At this point it looks like Chychrun will at least remain with the Coyotes for a nine-game trial. Keith Duggan

August 2016- After a very strong rookie development camp with the Coyotes in July, Jakob Chychrun was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract. Despite being physically ready for the NHL, with Arizona suddenly deep on defense, expect Chychrun to play at least one more season in the OHL. Keith Duggan

June 2016- Originally thought as one of the top prospects and best defenseman for the 2016 draft, as the season wore on Jakob Chychrun saw his stock fall, even to the point were some scouts had him rated as the fourth or fifth top rearguard by year's end. That trend continued on draft day, but the Coyotes made a shrewd move, trading the 20th pick, Joe Vitale and a second-round pick (53rd overall) to move up and select Chychrun 16th overall while taking on Pavel Datsyuk's cap hit for the 2016-17 season also. The left-shot defenseman finished fourth among OHL blueliners in points with 11 goals and 49 points in 62 games for Sarnia. With lots of excellent forward prospects, the Coyotes were lacking on the back-end and with Chychrun now that fills a big need. Keith Duggan

December 2015 – After attending Canada’s National Junior Evaluation Camp, Jakob Chychrun was (surprisingly) listed as one of the team’s first cuts. Given Canada’s veteran depth at camp, Chychrun was in tough to make the squad but will surely be a fixture on future international teams assuming his development continues to trend upwards. Brendan Ross

December 2015 – Bloodlines run deep for Jakob Chychrun with his father Jeff Chychrun and uncle Luke Richardson both carving out good careers in the National Hockey League. Emitting a consummate professional personality, Jakob Chychrun is mature beyond his years and has displayed a tremendous desire to improve. He’s a competitive defender who can skate like the wind, blasting from a standstill with explosive powerful strides. Born and raised in Florida, Chychrun is a dual-citizen with ties to Canada – the country he’s represented internationally at the Under-17 level. Chychrun is the unanimous top ranked defenseman for the 2016 NHL Entry draft and it’s a position he holds due to his strong two-way game. Growing up as a forward, the offensive game comes naturally to Jakob but he’s quickly established himself as a defensive asset over the past few seasons, particularly during his draft season as he focuses on his defensive responsibilities. His ability to control the puck at top speed allows him to gain the zone with ease. As a powerplay quarterback, Chychrun naturally walks the line with his head up surveying his passing and shooting options. He’s extremely light and elusive on his skates allowing him to evade pressure easily in tight quarters and is extremely good at unleashing a hard quick point-shot that finds lanes well for high accuracy. The young blueliner has experienced several serious shoulder issues and will need to show scouts that any lasting effects are a thing of the past. Jakob Chychrun was the first overall selection of the Sarnia Sting at the 2014 OHL Priority Selection after competing with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens minor midget team. Brendan Ross

Fantasy Outlook: A

Top pairing offensive defenseman 

Footage:

Jakob Chychrun highlights from 2014 and 2015:

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