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I'm back! After a couple of weeks of hiatus, I will be back posting regularly as we approach training camp. If you have a topic you would like to see me write about, drop me a message in the comment section or on Twitter.

When it comes to rumours regarding Ottawa acquiring a top four defenseman over the past few weeks has been relatively quiet, until the last three days! I've had numerous sources reach out to me regarding the fate of Jakob Chychrun in Arizona. The Arizona Coyotes realize more than ever that Chychrun wants no part of a rebuild(he continues to skate in Arnprior, ON....a short drive from the CTC, home of your Ottawa Senators) and that they need to move him by the start of training camp because if Chychrun's camp were to leak to the media that he isn't showing up at camp, then the Coyotes are dealing from a position of weakness. Naturally, the Coyotes want to maximize the return for a player that is on a team-friendly contract, with three years remaining at a 4.6M AAV. At this point, the ask is still high and the Coyotes seem to have shifted to wanting more draft picks in return along with a high end prospect as they want no part of any capable roster players in return because they want to make sure they tank it over the next two years and make sure they are getting top three overall picks in the draft lottery. They are pushing to have their team start to contend in three years when they will be approaching the opening of a new building. They have a 3-5 year plan in place in terms of when they will go big free agent hunting after stocking the team with top end talent through the NHL draft.

As it stands now, I'm told the Coyotes have circled back to any team interested in Chychrun over the last year to try to get a possible bidding war between two or more teams. The problem is, that many teams have moved on over the last year. This signifies desperation on the Coyote's behalf as they realize more than ever that a trade needs to occur in the next two weeks or a team like the Ottawa Senators will have a better chance at acquiring Chychrun for far less than the current asking price. Arizona opens up training camp on September 11th, meaning Chychrun would have to be in Tempe in just over two weeks. If he was nowhere to be seen by September 9th, you know NHL GM's will be very aware of this! As it is, the price has dropped from four pieces to three, which resemble first round pick talent, meaning a first round prospect or future first round draft pick. With the price at three pieces now, a team like the NY Rangers that were close to acquiring him at the trade deadline, could revisit the possibility of acquiring Chychrun. Both the LA Kings and Philadelphia Flyers have made numerous inquiries over the last year with Arizona, but cap issues will make it difficult for either team, as they would have to move a contract or two to make it work under the cap.

Dorion has played his hand very well when it comes to dealing with Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong by being patient as I'm told he learned from the Matt Duchene trade in which he gave up a lot to acquire him as he was after Duchene for almost two years, then when the team was stumbling a bit, he made an impulse trade and has certainly regretted it ever since.

I was also told that Sens GM Pierre Dorion is waiting to see how the Arizona situation plays out before signing Artem Zub to a contract extension. Dorion hopes to move the contract of Nikita Zaitsev, which is no secret, but he realizes that one domino needs to fall before he can lock up Zub for another 4-5 years. Basically, in an ideal world, Dorion wants to add Chychrun, move Zaitsev, and extend Zub on a new contract all before training camp opens. Then he would feel like he has given head coach DJ Smith the best chance to succeed behind the bench with a complete roster and no possible noise coming from the media or the Sens fanbase.

Comments, thoughts Sens fans?! A new blog will be up on Friday, taking a look back at the past of the Ottawa Senators.

Thanks for reading.
Kevin

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