Did Ottawa Senators rob Arizona Coyotes?

The Arizona Coyotes are getting absolutely slammed in some Jakob Chychrun trade grades for their deal with the Ottawa Senators.

Who won the big NHL trade involving Jakob Chychrun on Thursday?

There’s a clear winner in the deal that sent Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for three draft picks, at least according to early returns.

Many NHL writers praised the deal for Ottawa in their trade grades, while also slamming Arizona.

Here’s what they wrote about the trade:

For the Win: Coyotes get a D, Senators receive an A for deal

Mary Clarke wrote: “After a year and a half of being on the market, this is the return the Coyotes get for Chychrun? The Lightning gave up more to get Tanner Jeannot, if you can believe it! It’s possible the Coyotes asked for too much for Chychrun and as a result tanked his value but wow, what a steal for the Senators. I’m not convinced they’re in play for a wild card spot in the East this season, but Chychrun definitely solidifies Ottawa’s top four for the next few years.”

More:Arizona Coyotes trade Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa Senators for draft picks

The Hockey Writers: Coyotes earn a C, Senators land an A for trade

Alex Chauvancy wrote: “The Coyotes have two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, assuming the Senators don’t end up in the top five, which never hurts. But it feels like they should have gotten way more for a player that was their best player and that they held onto for almost 18 months before dealing him. If this is what the rest of the trade deadline looks like for them, it could be a long 36 hours.”

Clutch Points: Coyotes handed a D, Senators an A+ for deal

Tristin McKinstry wrote: “This is rather straightforward. The Senators receive high marks for adding one of the best defensemen in the league on a cut-price deal. The Coyotes receive low marks for shooting themselves in the foot and dragging this thing out until they lost every ounce of leverage they had.”

Defector.com: Coyotes get ‘shockingly’ low return in Chychrun trade

Barry Petchesky wrote: “Chychrun, still just 24 years old, is headed to Ottawa for the shockingly low price of a first-round pick and two seconds. He is the jewel of the deadline, yet he didn’t fetch that much more of a haul than Filip Hronek. That may be more an indictment of the Canucks than anything else, but the Senators still got a steal. Chychrun is a top-pairing skater whose two-way skills are such that he can be reliably paired with just about anyone. He moves the puck, and he loves to shoot, and he’s good at it. His offensive skills perhaps overshadow his defending sometimes, but he’s more than capable at that end too.”

More:Arizona Coyotes trade Shayne Gostisbehere to Hurricanes

CBS Sports: ‘Disappointing’ return for Coyotes in Chychrun trade

Chris Bengel wrote: “Chychrun is a legitimate top-pairing defenseman with a very reasonable $4.6 million cap hit, and the Senators just got him for an incredibly modest price. At one point there were talks of the Coyotes wanting multiple first round picks and top-notch prospects in exchange for Chychrun, but the market for defensemen has dried up over the last week. While this return may be somewhat disappointing for the Coyotes, they now have a glut of draft picks in the next few years. If Arizona plays its cards right, it would ice a very competitive team in a few seasons.”

A different view on Arizona Coyotes trade

Not everyone was down on Arizona’s grade, however.

The Daily Faceoff gave the Coyotes a B for the deal, while the Senators received an A.

Mike Gould wrote: “Yes, Arizona only got one first-round pick after shopping Chychrun for more than a year. No doubt, it’s concerning that Chychrun even wanted out in the first place. The Coyotes need to start building something worthwhile before long if they want their next wave of potential star-level talents — Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and the like — to stick around. But after this trade, with a little bit of luck, the Coyotes could walk into the 2023 NHL Draft with two picks in the top 10. For a team desperately trying to build a strong asset base, that’s a huge deal.