“Jakob Chychrun is not going to fail” was a statement made by an NHL scouting director earlier this month when asked for a decisive opinion on the most anticipated hockey prospect ever to hail from Florida.
As the annual NHL draft draws near, your correspondent had been fishing around for input on Chychrun, the Sarnia Sting blueliner who, despite owning an elite skill set, became a hub for criticism over the course of the 2015-16 Ontario Hockey League season.
The truth is, scouts are torn over the puck-moving defenceman’s ceiling. Some see Chychrun topping out as a future Kris Letang, a pace-pushing star presence on the back end.