With Jordan Kyrou's no-trade clause kicking in July 1, Blues trade ‘rumors' pick up

New York Times

3 days ago

ST. LOUIS — Not long after Jordan Kyrou signed an eight-year, $65 million contract with the St. Louis Blues in 2022, some fans began putting odds on whether he'd be dealt before his full no-trade clause went into effect July 1, 2025.
That date is less than a week away, and it might present a deadline for a decision on whether to move Kyrou before the protection and power transfer to him.
Advertisement
Remember, the Blues tried to trade defenseman Torey Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023, but the deal fell through when he invoked his no-trade clause. Then in March, there was an apparent attempt to move captain Brayden Schenn, who also has a no-trade clause, at the trade deadline. He responded to reporters, 'I feel like I couldn't go out there and quit on my teammates.'
So the Blues know firsthand what it's like to have a deal rejected because of an NTC.
Earlier this week, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was speaking in general terms — not about Kyrou's situation specifically — about how much he analyzes a player's role and future with the team when deciding whether to trade him before his no-trade clause kicks in.
'Dates come and go in our business,' Armstrong said. 'You don't really focus on it. It is what it is.'
That could be true, but it could also be a front while the Blues continue to have conversations around the NHL about the possibility.
Wednesday, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli listed Kyrou as the No. 2 player on his trade target board.
A league source said any speculation about the Blues winger being dealt were 'rumors.' That likely won't quiet the speculation, however, as the final days before he receives the NTC unfold.
From the Blues' perspective, would it make sense? There are reasons it might, and others it might not.
First, the Blues need help at center, and they have a good stock of wingers, so though he has led the team in goals the past three seasons, perhaps he's expendable.
With Jimmy Snuggerud showing scoring potential, Pavel Buchnevich beginning a new six-year contract, Dylan Holloway returning to full health, and Jake Neighbours and Zack Bolduc potentially filling top-six roles, there is some depth. None of those players has come close to putting up the offensive totals Kyrou has in his career, but if he's the best trade chip and yields a much-needed center or a young right-shot defenseman, it's something to consider.
Advertisement
Secondly, the Blues will be changing general managers after the 2025-26 season, with Alexander Steen taking over for Armstrong.
Armstrong will still be heavily involved as president of hockey operations after stepping down as GM, but every move the organization has made since last year's announcement comes with the question, 'What is Steen's preference?' Does the gritty former Blues forward turned front-office executive envision Kyrou as part of the future, and, if not, do they trade him before he gets the NTC?
Conversely, though, Kyrou has proved to be a consistent offensive performer with a team-leading 150 goals since the 2018-19 season. He also improved his all-around game last season, finishing with a team-best plus-23 rating.
Indeed, Kyrou might be capable of scoring 40-plus goals in the league and hasn't done that yet, but for all of the depth and up-and-coming talent the Blues have in their forward group, only Buchnevich has posted 30 goals in the league, and it happened just once (2021-22).
Furthermore, Kyrou's $8.125 million AAV is fairly team-friendly, and it's only going to look more attractive with six years left on the deal and the NHL salary cap expected to jump to $113 million in three years.
Kyrou's 36 goals this season were tied for No. 16 in the league, and of the 15 other players, only four had a higher AAV than the Blues winger: the Buffalo Sabres' Tage Thompson ($7.1 million), the Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor ($7.1 million), the Detroit Red Wings' Alex DeBrincat ($7.9 million) and the Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield ($7.9 million).
Kyrou's projected market value for the upcoming 2025-26 season is $8.6 million and projects to peak at $9.1 million in 2028-29, with a salary cap that could reach $119 million that season.
The Athletic, meanwhile, checked a total of 146 player comps to Kyrou and ranked eight.
This is an estimation of Kyrou's current talent — a good, but not elite, first-line forward with 65-point ability — and his likely trajectory.
According to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, 'Kyrou is expected to be a first-line-caliber player throughout the rest of his contract, where he should provide solid value over his cap hit. His trajectory is based on the paths of similar players like Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman at the same age. Based on his comps, Kyrou does have some low-level star upside he can still hit, but this is also an age where a drop-off to second-line caliber is possible. Anything less, though, is unlikely during his prime.'
Here's the list of top comps, including Ryan, Hoffman, Jakob Silfverberg, Elias Lindholm, Reilly Smith, Patric Hornqvist, Matt Moulson and Stephen Weiss.
The question becomes, if the Blues did consider trading Kyrou, what could they expect in return?
The top players on The Athletic's latest trade board are Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson and Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram, but Andersson is 28, which is outside of Armstrong's targeted age group, and Byram, though 24, is a left-shot defenseman, and the Blues would probably prefer a right shot.
Advertisement
There might not be a player on the trade board the Blues would consider dealing Kyrou straight-up for until No. 19: New York Islanders right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson. He's a 25-year-old restricted free agent who is coming off a three-year, $12 million contract and due a sizable raise.
However, Dobson might not be available, and again, if the Blues acquire a defenseman in a trade for Kyrou, are they able to replace his offense?
The bottom line: Armstrong isn't going to make a deal before July 1 just to make a deal.
If it doesn't help the club's chances of competing now and in the future, then the GM has shown in the past he's not going to be forced into a move — remember Vladimir Tarasenko? — because of what might seem like a deadline or pressure on him. He's also shown in the past that just because a player has a no-trade clause — remember Brandon Saad? — it's not going to prevent him from trying to move him off the roster.
Obviously, the circumstances involving Tarasenko and Saad are much different from those of Kyrou, who wants to be in St. Louis, has a long-term contract and has produced more than any other player on the roster recently.
But with speculation stemming back three years about the possibility of a move before the NTC kicked in, it's not a surprise his name is surfacing just before that happens.