St. Louis Blues right winger Jordan Kyrou became the subject of trade rumors this spring following his club’s first-round playoff elimination.
Despite being under contract through 2030-31, some observers wondered where the 27-year-old fit into the club’s long-term plans.
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The speculation reached a crescendo by the NHL draft in late June, with some reports linking Kyrou to the Montreal Canadiens. However, the Canadiens instead acquired promising middle-six right winger Zack Bolduc on July 1, while Kyrou’s full no-trade clause kicked in on the same day.
Despite some reports subsequently claiming the Canadiens and other clubs remained interested in Kyrou, the trade chatter surrounding him has died off in recent weeks.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported hearing nothing specific regarding Blues trade rumors lately. However, he indicated that there were clubs still interested in Kyrou.
That shouldn’t be surprising. Kyrou is a speedy winger with three straight 30-plus-goal seasons on his resume. However, his full no-trade clause gives him complete control over his situation.
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Meanwhile, despite the significant increase in this season’s salary cap, no RFAs have signed offer sheets thus far this summer. That seems unusual, considering notable players, such as Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish and Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi, remain unsigned.
Some observers suggest that teams with plentiful salary-cap space lack the draft picks required as compensation for a successful offer-sheet signing.
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now cited Penguins GM Kyle Dubas recently telling the Cam & Strick podcast he’d received calls from clubs wanting to reacquire their second- and third-round picks in the 2026 draft.
“And you know why,” Dubas said. “So that’s their business.” He suggested he’d be willing to talk to those clubs if they offer up a fair price.
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Kingerski pointed out that the Penguins own the Blues’ and Winnipeg Jets‘ second-rounders and the San Jose Sharks‘ third-round pick.
The Blues only have $625,000 of salary-cap space, while the Jets have $3.96 million. However, the Sharks have a whopping $19.74 million available, putting them in a strong position to sign someone to a lucrative deal if they are willing to get back that third-rounder from the Penguins.
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