Amidst all of the talk about the trade that could be, perhaps the biggest news recently involving St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou was about the trade that almost was.
Already a fixture in the NHL rumor mill, Kyrou’s name resurfaced in a big way after head coach Jim Montgomery made him a healthy scratch for the Nov. 6 game against the Buffalo Sabres. That decision served as an adrenalin shot for hockey chatter, sparking speculation from national pundits about where the 27-year-old winger might be headed next.
NHL Insider Reveals Near-Trade of Jordan Kyrou to Seattle
But according to one NHL insider, a deal nearly happened several months ago that would have sent Kyrou to the Pacific Northwest. On the Nov. 7 episode of Sportsnet’s “The Fan Hockey Show” podcast, Elliotte Friedman said a trade “was being seriously discussed” prior to the NHL Draft between the Blues and the Seattle Kraken.
“There was a deal, and nobody ever admits it, but I feel confident in saying this. I think that Seattle and St. Louis were talking about that 8th overall pick,” Friedman said. “That Seattle was thinking about Kyrou, and it would have been [in exchange for] the 8th overall pick, and at the end of the day, maybe there was more, but that’s the one I kind of heard.”
Kyrou now has full no-trade protection in his contract, but it was a partial no-trade clause prior to July 1, which spurred a bevy of buzz over possible deals in the days before the NHL entry draft, held June 26-27. While the full parameters of the near-trade with Seattle were not revealed, Friedman said Kyrou and the No. 8 pick were the main pieces involved. The Kraken eventually decided to keep the pick and used it to select Jake O'Brien, who is the captain of the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs and currently leads the league in assists (28) and overall scoring (37).
Elliotte Friedman Suggests Salary Cap Increase Makes Kyrou's Contract Palpable
Friedman said discussion about Kyrou in general picked up after the NHL and the NHL Players' Association announced in late January that the salary cap would increase over the next few seasons, reaching $113.5 million by 2027-28. The increases made Kyrou’s eight-year, $65 million contract more palatable, Friedman indicated.
“A year ago, with the cap where it was, I think some teams looked at Kyrou’s numbers and said, ‘I don’t know if I like that deal,’” Friedman said. “But now with the cap where it is, they know he’s locked in.”
And Friedman said at that price, there are several teams who would be interested in a forward with multiple seasons of over 30 goals scored.
“I have no doubt there was other stuff out there,” he said.