The defenseman, who requested a trade last season, was scratched for the second straight game on Monday, when the Coyotes defeated the Nashville Predators 4-2. He was also scratched before a 6-5 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday for what the Coyotes called "trade-related reasons."
The Coyotes have seven games remaining before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 3.
"It's not a situation that happened overnight," Tourigny said. "He knew what was coming. We all knew it. He dealt with that like the ultimate pro. His attitude this year was phenomenal. He was a good teammate, helped his teammates, smile every day, show up at the rink, work hard, block shots, improve playing our system and all of it.
"He behaved like he should, like a real pro, so credit to him, and I think now it's time for the organization to take care of business and to make sure we're on the safe side of everything. So he will remain out of the lineup until something happens for us."
Chychrun said he and the Coyotes agreed early last season it was best for each party that he be traded, but that did not happen prior to the 2022 deadline, during the 2022 NHL Draft, or during the offseason, when Chychrun had surgery on his wrist and ankle.
He did not back off his request on the eve of training camp this season
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"[I] decided to take them up on that offer and try to move on to a better situation [because of] my desire to win in this League," Chychrun said Sept. 21. "Careers are so short, the time flies by, and I'm in my seventh year in the NHL. It's just crazy.
"I don't want these years to keep going by and be 10, 12 years in and not had a real good chance at not only the playoffs but winning the Stanley Cup. That's really my mentality and where I'm at and I think the team understands that, to get moved to a situation with a chance to win and a team that's fighting for the Stanley Cup."
The Coyotes (18-28-8) are seventh in the Central Division and have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs once since 2012, losing in five games to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 Western Conference First Round.
Chychrun, the No. 16 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, has played his entire seven-season NHL career for the Coyotes. He has 170 points (60 goals, 110 assists) in 373 games, including 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) in 36 games this season. He did not play his first game until Nov. 21.
Chychrun has two seasons remaining on a six-year contract he signed with the Coyotes on Nov. 13, 2018.
"He will have grown a lot from that situation because last year, it played in his mind a lot," Tourigny said. "It consumed him. It was tough mentally for him, and he arrived this year ready for it. He knew, 'I've been there last year,' and this year he deal with it really well.
"[There] was not one day in the room that we felt, 'OK, he's checked out. Just waiting for it.' No, he was all in. He was a really good teammate. He helped younger guys. He was a good model for us, so kudos to him, credit to him, good for him. We'll see what's the future. … That's where the plan is."
Tourigny said the Coyotes don't want to take a chance on Chychrun sustaining an injury prior to the deadline. He had one assist in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.
"He played 30 minutes (29:57) last game he played, so you never know" Tourigny said. "A guy plays 30 minutes exposes himself pretty good. We're at that point where [Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong] wants to be on the smart side."
