Capitals’ Jakob Chychrun turns heads with record-pace scoring, strict diet and Olympic bid
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WASHINGTON — Jakob Chychrun has given the Washington Capitals a weapon few NHL blue-liners possess: a shot so quick that teammates lean forward on the bench just to watch it. Through 38 games of the 2025-26 season, the 27-year-old defenseman has 15 goals, the most among league defensemen and a pace that threatens Mike Green’s franchise mark of 31 set in 2008-09.
“He scores from spots most players wouldn’t even consider,” center Dylan Strome said. Head coach Spencer Carbery added that Chychrun’s wrist and snap shots can beat goaltenders clean “as elite as there is,” an ability he rarely sees from the back end.
Olympic spotlight
The scoring surge has pushed Chychrun into serious contention for Canada’s roster at the 2026 Winter Games. Over his past 112 NHL contests he has 35 goals, 41 assists and a plus-39 rating while averaging roughly 25 minutes per night and running the power play. Carbery, who could send three Capitals to the Olympics — Chychrun, forward Tom Wilson and goaltender Logan Thompson — addressed the extra attention early in the season, urging them to “keep doing what got you noticed.”
General manager Brian MacLellan has lobbied Hockey Canada on his defenseman’s behalf. “He’s played that well the last two years,” MacLellan said. Chychrun, who holds both U.S. and Canadian citizenship, says the process has not weighed on him: “It’s been nice not stressing about it.” His wife, Olivia, is due with the couple’s first child in less than 10 days, a development he calls “by far what I’m most excited about.”
Eight-year commitment
Washington acquired Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators last season in a deal that sent defenseman Nick Jensen and draft picks north. In March the Capitals signed him to an eight-year, $72 million extension. MacLellan credits the former Arizona Coyote for learning to avoid forcing plays, saying the defenseman’s growth has made him “more consistent.” Carbery calls him “arguably our MVP” alongside Thompson.
Unconventional fuel
Chychrun’s rigorous approach extends off the ice. Teammates routinely see him unpacking homemade meals on road trips, part of a nutrition plan he has followed since his teens. He favors seasonal, locally sourced food and has eaten raw animal hearts and livers to avoid processed ingredients. “If it has a label, we almost try to avoid it,” he explained, adding that he and Olivia hope to own a farm after his playing career.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound defender previously experimented with what he calls “biohacking” machines but now focuses on whole foods — even recreating candy bars at home with unprocessed ingredients. Strome said Chychrun’s physique is unlike anyone else he has played with, recalling the days in Arizona when the two made late-night donut runs. “He’s a little more mature now,” Strome joked.
Path to the blue line
Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Chychrun started hockey as a forward before his father, former NHL defenseman Jeff Chychrun, shifted him to defense to maximize ice time. A dual citizen, Jakob nearly joined the USHL at age 15 but was denied by USA Hockey and instead played junior hockey in Toronto, which led to spots on Canadian national youth teams alongside Mitch Marner and Travis Konecny. Arizona drafted him 16th overall in 2016; injuries delayed his breakout until a 70-game campaign with Ottawa in 2023-24.
Faith and family
Chychrun says his Christian faith, galvanized during the COVID-19 pandemic and culminating in his baptism this past summer, grounds him. “It’s been life-changing,” he said. With impending fatherhood, a record goal pace and possible Olympic selection, the defenseman insists he is simply enjoying the moment: “Going to the rink every day with this group in Washington is a blessing.”
Source: ESPN
