The Montreal Canadiens officially got here out of the rebuild in 2024-25, advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the primary time in 4 years before bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in Round 1. This time around, the Habs want to do greater than just get in. Sitting 32-17-8 and third place within the Eastern Conference amid the 2026 Winter Olympic break, Marty St. Louis’ group is looking well-positioned to potentially make a run this 12 months.
General manager Kent Hughes hasn’t been shy about improving the roster, acquiring Zachary Bolduc and Noah Dobson over the summer — from the St. Louis Blues and Latest York Islanders, respectively — before bolstering the forward core with the additions of Alexandre Texier and Phillip Danault midseason.
With the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline now lower than a month away (the Olympic roster freeze lifts on Feb. 22), it was reported last week that the Canadiens are eyeing a top-line winger to enhance Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.
Although the depth down the center has been the positional need for Montreal over the past couple of campaigns, rookie Oliver Kapanen’s emergence at 2C has largely quelled those concerns — as has Juraj Slafkovsky’s fast chemistry with Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.
As a substitute, the Canadiens want to amass a star winger to create a three-headed monster on the highest line. That may also allow Bolduc and Texier, who’ve been splitting time on the suitable side of the primary line, the flexibility to play lower down the lineup and improve the depth in the method.
On this quest, the front office should look no further than Toronto, Ontario native and Blues forward Jordan Kyrou, who could probably be convinced to waive his no-trade clause to hitch the storied Quebec franchise. The Habs were more firmly linked to him last offseason, but nothing materialized. With the Blues fading out of the postseason picture within the Western Conference, it would not be surprising if a few veterans on St. Louis’ roster get a change of scenery between now and March 6.
Here is the offer that Hughes and the front office should propose to Blues GM Doug Armstrong to attempt to pry Kyrou out of Missouri.
Trade Proposal – The Montreal Canadiens acquire Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues. In exchange, the Blues acquire winger Patrik Laine, defenseman Jayden Struble and a 2026 first-round pick.
Canadiens must shed Patrik Laine’s salary to amass Jordan Kyrou
To ensure that the Canadiens to soak up Kyrou’s $8.125 million cap hit — which runs until the conclusion of the 2030-31 campaign — they simply have to shed salary. Essentially the most obvious player to thus be going back to St. Louis is Patrik Laine, who has had a difficult tenure in Quebec.
Laine, who’s a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, is reportedly going to be traded a method or one other ahead of the deadline. His bloated cap hit of $8.7 million would not be easy to maneuver, however the Blues would probably be willing to take it on if Montreal sweetens the pot.
That is why adding a first-round pick, in addition to a young defenseman in Struble, could make loads of sense. Obviously, parting with a first-rounder is rarely easy to do, but with the Canadiens having an amazing 12 months, it won’t be a high pick in any case. The Habs have multiple picks within the 2026 NHL Draft, which might make parting with the choice easier.
Losing Struble can be disappointing — the 2019 second-round pick has been solid in a 3rd pairing role this 12 months. However the Canadiens have a robust defensive core that’s locked up for the foreseeable future, led by Dobson, Lane Hutson, Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle. Arber Xhekaj is an NHL-caliber third pairing defenseman, while Alexandre Carrier is within the midst of a terrific 12 months.
Considering Montreal also has 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher within the pipeline and developing with the Laval Rocket, parting with Struble could make sense. It could even be useful to the Blues; Struble has one other 12 months on a really reasonable contract and will help an aging blue line get younger. Cam Fowler is 34, Justin Faulk is 33 and Colton Parayko is 32.
On this hypothetical trade scenario, the Habs get the perfect player within the trade, while the 20-28-9 Blues get some key pieces as they transition right into a retool over the subsequent few seasons.
Is Blues’ Jordan Kyrou value the associated fee?
The query then becomes whether parting with a high draft selection together with a future on a regular basis NHL defenseman in Struble can be value it from a Canadiens perspective.
At first glance, it looks to make loads of sense, and that is considering the actual fact Kyrou is within the midst of a down 12 months. He’s managed just 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games with St. Louis, who’re dead last within the Central Division.
Kyrou’s play would undoubtedly improve with linemates of Suzuki and Caufield’s caliber, and he does have a robust track record that earned him such a lucrative contract in the primary place. The 27-year-old has hit the 70-point mark thrice within the last five years, and he was excellent in 2024-25 to the tune of 36 goals and 70 points over 82 games.
Considering the chemistry the trio of Demidov, Kapanen and Slafkovsky has built, throwing out one other line featuring Suzuki, Caufield and Kyrou would definitely take the Canadiens to the subsequent level. While it’s possible that the Blues’ brass will need to hold onto him through the retool, it is also possible that Armstrong sees teenager Jimmy Snuggerud — who has 24 points in 45 games — as a player who can effectively soon replace him.
With Laine on his way out of Quebec, and the Canadiens rumored to be on the lookout for a scoring winger, a trade to bring Kyrou from St. Louis to Montreal looks prefer it could make a ton of sense for each franchises this spring.