Report: Coyotes D Chychrun (wrist) to practice this week
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Currently on injured reserve, Arizona Coyotes defenceman Jakob Chychrun is set to return to practice this week, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports.
Trade rumours have circled around the 24-year-old defenceman for more than year. He has been linked to the Ottawa Senators, but Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports no deal is close between the two teams.
Chychrun, who is dealing with a wrist injury, said last month that the Coyotes first approached him about a possible trade to a contender before last season and he took them up on the offer of potentially being moved to a contender.
“Throughout the start of last season, I had a lot of reflection time and some really, really emotional, hard reflections with my loved ones and family," he said "We ultimately decided to take them up on that offer and try to get moved on to a better situation.”
The 24-year-old had seven goals and 21 points in 47 games last season, his sixth with the Coyotes. He is in the fourth year of his six-year, $27.6 million contract with an average annual value of $4.6 million.
Taken 16th overall by the Coyotes at the 2016 NHL Draft, Chychrun had a career season with Arizona in 2020-21, scoring 18 goals and tallying 41 points in 56 games.
In 337 career NHL games, he has 53 goals and 142 points.
Valimaki to make Coyotes debut
Defenceman Juuso Valimaki is set to make his debut for the Coyotes this week, Morgan reports.
Valimaki is still awaiting his U.S. work visa but is clear to play in Canada. The Coyotes play the first of three games north of the border beginning on Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 24-year-old had two assists in nine games with the Calgary Flames last season.