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Although most of the trade speculation surrounding the St. Louis Blues has centered on captain Brayden Schenn over the last year, another key forward has emerged into a trade candidate this summer.
As Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reported earlier this week, Jordan Kyrou — who was second in team scoring in 2024-25 — could be on the move.
“Kyrou joins the board as a player just days away from his full ‘no-trade' clause kicking in on July 1. He’s been a very productive player, averaging 35 goals and 71 points over the last three seasons,” wrote the hockey insider.
“So why would the Blues move him? That’s a big commitment remaining. Plus the calculus that rival teams have made is that GM Doug Armstrong will see rookie Jimmy Snuggerud as a player who can effectively soon replace Kyrou. The Blues are a middling team that aren’t young, and this may be one way to continue to turn over the roster.”
Kyrou has undoubtedly been one of St. Louis' most important players over the last couple of years, and it's a bit surprising to see him on Seravalli's trade board considering they were a playoff team last year.
After hiring Jim Montgomery behind the bench, the Blues went on a tear, eventually capturing the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference. That led to a first-round matchup with the President's Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets.
And the Blues probably deserved better; they led 3-1 in Game 7 with two minutes remaining in regulation. All signs pointed to St. Louis completing an epic upset, but instead, Winnipeg scored two goals — one with three seconds left — before winning in double overtime.
It was a heartbreaking ending for the club, but it was still a positive campaign for a team that had missed the playoffs two years in a row beforehand.
Losing Jordan Kyrou would be tough pill to swallow for Blues fans
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Kyrou is one of the most exciting players on the Blues' roster, and he's scored 67 points or better in each of the last four campaigns. But, like Elias Pettersson with the Vancouver Canucks, his no-movement clause kicks in on July 1.
For that reason, general manager Doug Armstrong must do his due diligence and see if he can get a significant return for the Toronto, Ontario native.
While there's no guarantee Kyrou gets moved in the next week, the Blues only have around $5 million in cap space to work with. While most of their roster is locked up, backup goaltender Joel Hofer is a pending restricted free agent, and veterans Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter are both without a contract for 2025-26.
Kyrou is signed through the 2030-31 season at a significant $8.125 million cap hit, and getting that off the books might make sense for a Blues team that doesn't project as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
As well, a couple players will need new contracts next summer, including Dylan Holloway, Mathieu Joseph, Cam Fowler, Nick Leddy and Philip Broberg.
It'll be interesting to see if Armstrong and the front office pull the trigger on a Kyrou trade — and if so, what the return looks like for the franchise.
