What the Canadiens Could Offer to Land Jordan Kyrou

After making waves by acquiring defenseman Noah Dobson and forward Zachary Bolduc, it would have been easy to assume that general manager Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens were done taking big swings. But, according to Frank Seravalli on The Kevin Karius Show, Montreal is still interested in acquiring Jordan Kyrou, with Hughes reportedly still working the phones in an attempt to land the dynamic St. Louis Blues winger.

But what would it take to get a deal done and, more importantly, what does Montreal have left to offer after trading away key assets? While the Canadiens’ roster, prospect pool, and cap situation create some logistical challenges to acquiring Kyrou, they have the pieces to offer if both sides are willing to get creative.

Canadiens’ Draft Capital

Even after trading away both of their first-round picks to acquire Dobson ahead of the 2025 Draft, the Canadiens still have a relatively deep chest of draft capital. Montreal has all of its first-round picks in 2026, 2027, and 2028, and also has an extra second-round pick in 2026, giving them some flexibility to include multiple mid-to-high picks in a trade package.

While it’s unlikely Hughes is eager to move another first-rounder so soon, the Canadiens could realistically part with a 2026 first-round pick if they believe Kyrou fits their long-term core. This type of package would give the Blues a valuable asset without having to take on significant NHL salary. Given St. Louis’s limited cap flexibility – they have less than $1 million in space – this could be appealing if they view Kyrou’s $8.125 million cap hit as too expensive to carry forward.

Canadiens Prospects on the Block

The second part of any major trade equation will include prospects, and the Canadiens still have several high-end names in their system even after the Bolduc-Logan Mailloux swap.

The Canadiens’ top prospects include David Reinbacher, Michael Hage and Owen Beck, among others. However, after trading Mailloux, Reinbacher becomes an even more crucial piece of the team’s future blue line. It seems highly unlikely Hughes would entertain moving him. Hage, on the other hand, might generate real interest from the Blues. As the Canadiens’ 2024 first-round pick, Hage projects as a future top-six center and had an impressive showing last year with the University of Michigan.

Still, moving Hage before he earns his chance with the organization would be a bold and potentially short-sighted move, especially with the team not yet built to contend. The more logical route would be to explore trading from the next tier of prospects.

Established Canadiens Player Must Go

The Canadiens are more than $5 million over the salary cap. While it’s expected that Carey Price will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) once the season begins, clearing $10.5 million in space, NHL rules stipulate that teams cannot exceed the offseason cap by more than 10%, including LTIR deals. That means Montreal needs to shed money before they can even consider adding Kyrou’s $8.125 million cap hit.

The most obvious name is Patrik Laine, who was acquired last offseason and carries a cap hit of $8.7 million for one more season. Trading Laine straight-up for Kyrou is unlikely. The Blues are not in a position to take on equal or more money, and Laine is a much more volatile asset. However, if the Canadiens can find a third team to retain a portion of Laine’s salary or reroute him elsewhere, that might open the door.