NHL Trade Buzz: Chychrun 'tremendous professional' during talks, GM says

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are eight days remaining until the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline (March 3; 3 p.m. ET). Here's a look around the League and the latest deadline doings:

#

Arizona Coyotes

Jakob Chychrun has handled sitting out the Coyotes' past six games while waiting to be traded extremely well, general manager Bill Armstrong said.
"We've had a great understanding on both sides of it and I think Jakob has been a tremendous professional about it," Armstrong told PHNX Sports. "He understood the whole process."
Chychrun was a healthy scratch Feb. 11 because the Coyotes thought they were in the final stages of finalizing the details of a trade, Armstrong said. He hasn't played since.
"One of the reasons we held him out so soon was he played a ton of minutes in his last game (at Chicago)," Armstrong said. "After that, we thought we were so close to a deal that we just had to make a decision. It turned out we were not, and then one day led to the next day and here we are today."
Armstrong said Chychrun would return to the lineup if a trade cannot be finalized by March 3.

Chicago Blackhawks

Is Patrick Kane's recent hot streak driven by a desire to showcase his talents to potentially-interested teams?
The Blackhawks forward, who has 10 points (seven goals, three assists) in his past four games, was asked that very question after his two-goal performance in a 4-3 win at the DaIlas Stars on Wednesday.
"No, I don't know," Kane told NBC Sports Chicago. "It's just, I think all of a sudden you get going and you start feeling good, you start feeling confident. I was the beneficiary of a few plays tonight and even the last couple games too. I think things are just clicking."
Kane can become an unrestricted free agent after this season. A report by ESPN suggested Kane has asked to explore whether a move to the New York Rangers, one of his preferred destinations, is still an option, even after they acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. Such a move, the report said, would take some "maneuvering" on the Rangers part, especially financially.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets' need for secondary scoring was glaring in their 2-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Wednesday. It is an area where Winnipeg definitely could use help.
"We need more from the bottom six, no question," coach Rick Bowness said after the game.
The loss was the final game of a four-game road trip in which the Jets went 1-3-0, getting outscored 10-8, with four of the goals coming in a 4-1 win at the New York Rangers on Monday. Forward Adam Lowry thinks he knows one of the reasons for that.
"I mean, probably some of it has to do with secondary scoring," he said, adding that "you can't rely on your big guns to score three or four every night."
Lowry would know. He hasn't scored since Dec. 11, a 31-game drought.
Winnipeg's postseason push enters a period in which six of the next seven games are at home starting with a game against defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Friday. The Jets (35-22-1) are second in the Central Division with 71 points, one behind the first-place Stars and four ahead of the Avalanche, (31-19-5) who have three games in hand.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made 50 saves in the win against the Rangers, is one of the leading candidates for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalie. Winnipeg could use some scoring help to compliment him.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs' announcement Wednesday that defenseman Jake Muzzin is out for the rest of the season and the playoffs is yet another reason why they could use some help on the back end.
The 34-year-old is recovering from a cervical spine injury. Toronto misses his physical presence, something that could be addressed by the trade deadline, especially since it's the type of skill set that becomes more valuable in the playoffs.
General manager Kyle Dubas said this past weekend that the Maple Leafs are still kicking tires on potential deals.
"If there is a way we can continue to improve the team, we'll continue to look at that," he said.