Jordan Kyrou has been a trade rumor fixture for the better part of two years. Now, for the first time, there appears to be a public number attached to him, and it is significant enough to make any interested front office pause before picking up the phone.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that league executives believe Kyrou is available, and that the asking price is a high-end player, a top prospect, and a first-round pick. If the report is true, it would be quite the haul for the 2016 2nd round pick. The more interesting question isn’t what they’re asking though and instead if that’s the real number.
There are times when front offices leak asking prices for a reason. Sometimes the figure reflects genuine conviction about a player’s value. Sometimes it’s an opening position designed to anchor negotiations before the real haggling begins. And sometimes it’s a combination of both. In this case, it could be more of a signal to the market that the Blues aren’t desperate, and packaged in a way that invites serious bidders to come make their case.
Regardless of the public opinion, Kyrou does have a case for commanding that return. He is 28 years old, signed through the 2030-31 season at $8.125 million annually, and has posted at least 67 points in four consecutive seasons, and 30 or more goals in three of his last four seasons. This past year was a dip, dropping to 46 points with 18 goals and 28 assists across 72 games. Even in an inconsistent season when he wasn't rewarded offensively, he was arguably the Blues’ best player at five-on-five controlling 54.4 percent of shot attempts when he was on the ice, 58.7 percent of high-danger chances, and 60 percent of scoring chances. A player who can drive possession at that rate while carrying a struggling team’s offensive load doesn’t typically come available. When one does, the price is steep.
Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blues had a deal in place last summer that would have sent Kyrou to Seattle for the eighth-overall pick in the 2025 draft. That transaction fell apart, but it established a firm selling point.
Kyrou’s production this season was the lowest it has been since he emerged as a genuine top-six winger. His cap hit is a number that is manageable but not trivial for a team trying to build around him. He carries a full no-trade clause, and any deal requires his willingness to waive it, something David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported Kyrou would consider for the right situation, but which still puts meaningful leverage in his hands, not the Blues’.
All of that creates a reasonable argument that the real price that might look something like two of the three components Garrioch mentioned. A high-end player and a first-round pick, without the premium prospect. Or a top prospect and a first, without the caliber of player the Blues ideally want coming back. The full package is the ask. What gets agreed upon in a back room may be something adjacent to it.
The Blues don’t need to move Kyrou. His contract is long, his value is real, and keeping him costs nothing in the short term. The asking price has been reportedly been set and at a level designed to make any serious bidder think hard before picking up the phone. Whether that price holds, bends, or quietly gets restructured into something neither side has acknowledged yet is the question the offseason will answer.