he The off-season is a time for rumours. As soon as a team’s season ends, rumours circulate as to what may happen in the off-season. The St. Louis Blues are no exception. They have their own rumour floating around the league. The rumour floating around is not a new one. Will the Blues trade forward Jordan Kyrou? Today, we are going to discuss the possibility of the Blues trading their 2022 All-Star.
Kyrou Trade Discussion
Source of the Kyrou Trade Rumour
The rumour first appeared in the summer of 2022. The Blues had interest in trading for Matthew Tkachuk. One of the names figured to be traded in exchange for Tkachuk was Kyrou. As it turned out, Tkachuk did not join the Blues. Furthermore, the rumoured packaged sent by general manager Doug Armstrong did not include Kyrou.
Kyrou’s name surfaced in rumours once again last seasons. Fans were frustrated with Kyrou, especially following his comments after Craig Berube was fired. With Pavel Buchnevich extended to a long-term contract, fans believed it was time to move on from Kyrou. Again, no trade happened, and Kyrou was the Blues leading scorer in the regular season.
This Off-Season’s Rumour
Here we are again. More Kyrou rumours are surfacing. One of the reasons for this rumour is that starting next season, a no-trade clause activates within Kyrou’s contract. Kyrou will soon have the power to veto a trade if he desires. Furthermore, trading Kyrou would free up somewhere between $4.06 million and $8.125 million on the Blues cap. This money could be used to extend players like Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. In addition, the Blues would get a decent haul in return.
Pros and Cons of a Kyrou Trade
Pros
The pros of a Kyrou trade have already been stated. It would free up money that could be used to sign other players. The Blues would not be limited by another no-trade clause. Lastly, the return would be pretty good.
Cons
Trading Kyrou would take 30+ goals out of the Blues lineup. While other players are capable of scoring 30+, Kyrou is the only who has done is consistently. If the Blues traded Kyrou, they would be looking for someone to replace that production in the lineup. Yes, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky could match that production, but given both have limited NHL experience, it will likely take a little time for both to reach that level of production.
One could argue that part of the package in return for Kyrou could be a scorer. Common suggestions among Blues fans are Brady Tkachuk and Mitch Marner. However, are either of these realistic? Tkachuk is the Ottawa Senators captain and just led the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017. They will not be interested in trading their captain.
Marner, on the other hand, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. It is possible the Toronto Maple Leafs may look to trade him to guarantee they will get something in return as opposed to losing him in free agency for nothing. While Kyrou is under contract and can score, he is not the two-way forward Marner is. While something is better than nothing, the Leafs may be looking for a two-way forward if they need to replace Marner. Furthermore, Marner would need to agree to an extension with the Blues for a trade to happen. That is another factor that may this hypothetical trade unlikely.
The Biggest Con
However, the biggest con is what a Kyrou trade would do to the Blues retool. The Blues sped up their rebuild this season and were less than two seconds away from playing in the second round. Kyrou, despite his struggles in the playoffs, was a big factor in the Blues reaching the playoffs. Trading Kyrou would be multiple steps backwards from what the team accomplished this season. As we just said, a trade for Tkachuk or Marner is unrealistic, so it is likely a Kyrou trade would include prospects and draft picks returning. That is a great for the future, but what about the now? The Blues gave Jim Montgomery a long-term contract to get them through the retool, and he did that and even more. Why make a trade that undoes all that work from this season?
Possible vs. Probable
Is a Kyrou trade possible? Yes. Is it probable? It does not seem so. Kyrou may have a love/hate relationship with Blues fans, but so did Vladimir Tarasenko and even David Perron during his first stint with the Blues. There are flaws in Kyrou’s game. The majority of the criticisms directed towards him are valid. However, he has grown as a player since his breakout season in 2022. He is the elite scorer the Blues need to remain competitive and eventually, a Stanley Cup contender.
Jordan Kyrou is NOT being traded. It just does not make sense for the team’s future.
Main Photo: Jeff Curry- Imagn Images
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