NHL Rumours: Montreal Canadiens Interested in Blues Forward

Rumour: In the latest edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman mentions that the Montreal Canadiens were looking to acquire Jordan Kyrou at the draft.

Analysis: Friedman goes on to say that St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong had mentioned that if there was a centre available, he would consider moving Kyrou. This is where it gets tricky for the Canadiens. The Canadiens have already been rumoured to be looking to improve their top-six, more specifically, their second-line centre behind Nick Suzuki. As it stands, Kirby Dach would be the one to slot in as the 2C in Montreal. However, given the injury history with Dach, the Canadiens are starting to look at a more reliable option.

Is Kyrou that guy? Not exactly. Jordan Kyrou has played most of his NHL career on the wing. Though he was technically drafted as a centreman. It’s a big ask for a player to jump back into the middle after playing almost exclusively on the wing for the last seven years. Especially a player who’s only taken 72 faceoffs during that time and boasts a very mediocre 40.3% success rate. Though this is not the be-all and end-all, it’s a pretty important piece of being a centreman.

The Benefits of Acquiring Kyrou

While Kyrou may not be the second-line centre that the Canadiens need, he would be an outstanding scoring option to improve their top-six. Kyrou is coming off a season where he scored 36 goals and 70 points in 82 games. He’s scored at least 30 goals in each of the last three seasons. He’s also scored at least 70 points in three of the last four. Based on his numbers last season, he would have finished second in goals and points on the Canadiens roster.

He is also just 27 years old. Kyrou fits the young group of players that Kent Hughes is trying to build to contend for the Stanley Cup for years to come. Furthermore, Kyrou is signed long-term. He won’t become a UFA until 2031 and carries a cap hit of $8.125 million per season. While the Canadiens would need to move some cap to acquire him this season, it’s certainly a number they’d be comfortable with acquiring as the salary cap rises over the next few years.

Deal to be Had

Given the amount of talent the Canadiens have on their roster as well as in their prospect pool, there is certainly a deal to be had between these two teams. It’s also worth noting that Jordan Kyrou’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1st. So if Armstrong is serious about moving Kyrou, now is the time.

Given the want at centre, would Armstrong be interested in Kirby Dach as the centre coming back in return for Kyrou? No one can know for sure. Armstrong would obviously have the same injury concerns as the Habs would have. There’s also nothing pointing to the Canadiens looking at moving Dach at this current moment. There would be a lot of cap juggling to make this move work. But surely, the two teams would be able to come to an agreement. One that works for both organizations to get a deal done here.