The Montreal Canadiens officially came out of the rebuild in 2024-25, advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years before bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in Round 1. This time around, the Habs are looking to do more than just get in. Sitting 32-17-8 and third place in the Eastern Conference amid the 2026 Winter Olympic break, Marty St. Louis' group is looking well-positioned to potentially make a run this year.
General manager Kent Hughes hasn't been shy about improving the roster, acquiring Zachary Bolduc and Noah Dobson over the summer — from the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders, respectively — before bolstering the forward core with the additions of Alexandre Texier and Phillip Danault midseason.
With the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline now less than a month away (the Olympic roster freeze lifts on Feb. 22), it was reported last week that the Canadiens are eyeing a top-line winger to complement Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.
Although the depth down the middle has been the positional need for Montreal over the last couple of campaigns, rookie Oliver Kapanen's emergence at 2C has largely quelled those concerns — as has Juraj Slafkovsky's instant chemistry with Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.
Instead, the Canadiens want to acquire a star winger to create a three-headed monster on the top line. That would also allow Bolduc and Texier, who have been splitting time on the right side of the first line, the ability to play lower down the lineup and improve the depth in the process.
In this quest, the front office should look no further than Toronto, Ontario native and Blues forward Jordan Kyrou, who could probably be convinced to waive his no-trade clause to join the storied Quebec franchise. The Habs were more firmly linked to him last offseason, but nothing materialized. With the Blues fading out of the postseason picture in the Western Conference, it wouldn't be surprising if a couple of veterans on St. Louis' roster get a change of scenery between now and March 6.
Here is the offer that Hughes and the front office should propose to Blues GM Doug Armstrong to try to pry Kyrou out of Missouri.
Trade Proposal – The Montreal Canadiens acquire Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues. In exchange, the Blues acquire winger Patrik Laine, defenseman Jayden Struble and a 2026 first-round pick.
Canadiens must shed Patrik Laine's salary to acquire Jordan Kyrou
In order for the Canadiens to absorb Kyrou's $8.125 million cap hit — which runs until the conclusion of the 2030-31 campaign — they simply need to shed salary. The most obvious player to thus be going back to St. Louis is Patrik Laine, who has had a challenging tenure in Quebec.
Laine, who is a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, is reportedly going to be traded one way or another ahead of the deadline. His bloated cap hit of $8.7 million wouldn't be easy to move, but the Blues would probably be willing to take it on if Montreal sweetens the pot.
That's why adding a first-round pick, as well as a young defenseman in Struble, could make a lot of sense. Obviously, parting with a first-rounder is never easy to do, but with the Canadiens having a great year, it won't be a high pick anyways. The Habs have multiple picks in the 2026 NHL Draft, which would make parting with the selection easier.
Losing Struble would be disappointing — the 2019 second-round pick has been solid in a third pairing role this year. But the Canadiens have a strong defensive core that is locked up for the foreseeable future, led by Dobson, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. Arber Xhekaj is an NHL-caliber third pairing defenseman, while Alexandre Carrier is in the midst of a terrific year.
Considering Montreal also has 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher in the pipeline and developing with the Laval Rocket, parting with Struble could make sense. It would also be beneficial to the Blues; Struble has another year on a very reasonable contract and could help an aging blue line get younger. Cam Fowler is 34, Justin Faulk is 33 and Colton Parayko is 32.
In this hypothetical trade scenario, the Habs get the best player in the trade, while the 20-28-9 Blues get some key pieces as they transition into a retool over the next few seasons.
Is Blues' Jordan Kyrou worth the cost?
The question then becomes whether parting with a high draft selection along with a future everyday NHL defenseman in Struble would be worth it from a Canadiens perspective.
At first glance, it looks to make a lot of sense, and that's considering the fact Kyrou is in the midst of a down year. He's managed just 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games with St. Louis, who are dead last in the Central Division.
Kyrou's play would undoubtedly improve with linemates of Suzuki and Caufield's caliber, and he does have a strong track record that earned him such a lucrative contract in the first place. The 27-year-old has hit the 70-point mark three times in the last five years, and he was excellent in 2024-25 to the tune of 36 goals and 70 points over 82 games.
Considering the chemistry the trio of Demidov, Kapanen and Slafkovsky has built, throwing out another line featuring Suzuki, Caufield and Kyrou would certainly take the Canadiens to the next level. While it's possible that the Blues' brass will want to hold onto him through the retool, it's also possible that Armstrong sees youngster Jimmy Snuggerud — who has 24 points in 45 games — as a player who can effectively soon replace him.
With Laine on his way out of Quebec, and the Canadiens rumored to be looking for a scoring winger, a trade to bring Kyrou from St. Louis to Montreal looks like it could make a ton of sense for both franchises this spring.
