Montreal Canadiens fans have heard their team connected to St. Louis Blues’ forward Jordan Kyrou for a little while now, and considering the position both teams are in, revisiting this idea now makes sense. The Canadiens sit third in the Atlantic Division at the time of this article, while the Blues are second last in the Central Division. There has been some speculation suggesting the Blues are open for business, and if that is the case, the Canadiens could make some inquiries.
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Before we get going, it needs to be stated that this is simply a hypothetical idea that is just a suggestion after talking to some writers around both the Blues and the Canadiens. There is no indication that these two teams have had any conversations about any of the players discussed in this article, and there haven’t been any reports connecting the Canadiens to Kyrou or anyone else as of right now.
A couple of important things to keep in mind with a blockbuster deal like this are the trade protection involved, which gives the players some power in deciding whether or not they get moved, and the salary cap, which would need to be figured out if the Canadiens are going to take on a massive contract or two, in any deal.
If the Canadiens are looking to buy and are confident they can make a deep playoff run, bringing in a guy like Kyrou would be smart, and they could also even look to upgrade their goaltending by considering acquiring Jordan Binnington.
I spoke to several writers here at The Hockey Writers, including both William Bourget and Ryan Szporer, who gave me feedback on a potential deal like this. Szporer pointed out the risk in taking on a contract like Kyrou’s, but suggested there could be a world where the Canadiens are more inclined to make a move of this magnitude with the Blues, if it involved Robert Thomas and Pius Suter.
Bourget mentioned that he believes something like this would need to be revisited in the summer, and to some degree, that makes perfect sense. Both of them agreed that in a world where Binnington is going to the Canadiens, Montembeault would be the goalie going the other way, but were sure to point out the fact that this could end up being more of a lateral move between the pipes, rather than an upgrade.
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
Lastly, I spoke with THW’s own Andrew Willis, who mentioned he would want a first-round pick in return for Binnington, and mentioned it could be tough to gauge what Kyrou’s value actually is. He did mention he would want another high draft pick and a prospect in return if it meant both Binnington and Kyrou were going, which makes sense considering how inflated the trade market is right now.
All things considered, let’s dive in.
Canadiens Take a Swing, Land Kyrou & Binnington
In this hypothetical deal, the Canadiens land both Kyrou and Binnington. As of right now, they have $3,849,964 in cap space. The combined cap hit of Kyrou and Binnington is $14.13 million, so they would have to find a way to clear out about $11 million. The easiest players to move out are Brendan Gallagher or Josh Anderson, but they could even consider moving Patrik Laine if there is interest in him. Either way, it may cost them a couple of assets to shed the cap space they need.
One idea I looked at was the Blues acquiring Gallagher, Jake Evans, and Sam Montembeault in return, with draft capital and a prospect as well, which would make the money work for both sides, but the reality is, the Blues likely don’t have interest in Gallagher.
Realistically, if the Canadiens can find another home for Gallagher, a deal looks like the Canadiens acquiring Kyrou and Binnington in exchange for Evans, Montembeault, Joshua Roy, a conditional 2027 first-round pick, and their 2026 second-round pick.
I would argue that Binnington provides an upgrade between the pipes for the Canadiens and lines up with their timeline. He is signed through the 2026-27 season, and by the time he is up for a new contract, the Habs could be ready to move forward with Jakob Dobes and Jacob Fowler as their tandem. If he pans out and helps them succeed, he could be inclined to sign a team-friendly extension and stick around, forcing the Canadiens to make a tough decision on one of the other two young goaltenders. Either way, it makes sense.
Obviously, there is some risk to taking on Kyrou, who is extended through the 2030-31 season, but considering how strong he is offensively and how consistent he has been over the course of his career, he could be a strong scoring addition to the Canadiens’ lineup.
The Blues add a strong middle-six forward in Evans and get a replacement goaltender in Montembeault, who needs a fresh start and has shown signs of being an elite starter in the past, but struggles with consistency. They also add two high draft picks and a strong prospect in Roy, making it make sense for both teams.
This deal obviously has a ton of hurdles that need to be overcome, but if both sides are interested in making changes and altering their future a little bit, this deal would make sense.
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