Jakob Chychrun On What Went Wrong For Him With The Ottawa Senators Last Year: 'I Don't Know, I Didn't Trade Myself'

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun was back to play some hockey at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. It was his first game in Ottawa since being traded by the Senators on July 1st last year.

Arriving at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, Chychrun only played one full season for the Sens, and admits he didn’t have the kind of year he had hoped for. However, he says he’ll always have fond memories of his time in his second hometown. It’s where his dad grew up, where he still spends his summers, and where his sister and grandfather still reside.

"Some good memories coming back here," Chychrun told the media yesterday. "One hundred percent great memories. It’s always nice to come back to places you’ve been. I know my first time back in Arizona was pretty emotional for me. So, you know, here I obviously have a lot of family as well."

Chychrun even had time on Wednesday night to head to his aunt’s house for a big Ottawa family dinner.

"She hosted everyone – my grandpa, my sister and her husband, and some cousins. It was great. Just a great dinner, great time with them. I played some cards after dinner. My grandpa can’t go without a little competition. So it was nice, a fun night."

So Chychrun was obviously in a really good place last year. But this year, he’s in an even better place. He’s the top-scoring defenseman on the number-one team in the NHL, which just beat his old team Thursday night in a perfect defensive struggle, 1-0 in overtime.

"Our team’s playing really well, and it’s been a great fit for me personally. I think I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and when you’re winning hockey games, it’s always a lot of fun. So, you know, we’ve got a great group that’s been playing well with one another, and we’re just doing our best to get better each day now."

Last spring in Ottawa, when the Senators had their season-ending media availability, Chychrun – about to enter the final year of his contract – said he hadn’t given much thought to staying with the Sens beyond next season. That led to speculation he was lukewarm on signing an extension here.

The bigger issue was that he’d probably be looking for something in the vicinity of the contracts that Thomas Chabot ($8M) and Jake Sanderson ($8.05M) enjoy. With the team identifying that the roster needed rebalancing, the idea of locking up a third left-shot offensive defenseman to that kind of money wouldn’t have made much sense, athletically or financially.

Chabot and Sanderson weren’t going anywhere, so the Senators sent Chychrun to the Capitals for defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.

So when asked what went wrong last season, Chychrun reminded the media that leaving Ottawa wasn’t his idea.

"I don’t know. I didn’t trade myself. So, I don’t know. I think a lot of people were talking about the fit. Obviously, they’ve got Sandy and Chabby on the left side. I just think maybe the fit wasn’t as good as it is here (with Washington). But I don’t know."

He’s quite right. Chychrun has been a perfect fit in Washington, just as Jensen has been a perfect fit in Ottawa. On his own, Jensen has added a much-needed shut-down presence to the right side of the blue line, but he’s also elevated Chabot’s game. And with the exit of Chychrun and Erik Brannstrom, it’s allowed room for Tyler Kleven to emerge as a solid, cost-effective, bottom-pairing D.

The deal has been a capital idea for both clubs.

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