2024-2025 Blues Trade Proposals Thread.

[Linkens Mastery]

Kyrou doesnt even board battle during the season, i dont think an injury changed his performance. His game just doesnt translate well to playoffs. He's no Vladdy, gets pushed off pucks too easily while attempting to go around defenders and out right refusing to go into the corners. Fingers crossed for a hockey trade.

Again. He has shown he is willing to change his play to get better. This is the first year he was one of the top targets the opposing team was aiming towards. I'm willing to bet he'll be coming into next year with that knowledge and ways to correct what was broken, just like he came into the last 2 years with ways to get better defensively.

I'm all for a trade where we can get a Top Defenseman or a Top Center. But trading him just to trade him has all of the ingredients to come out the other side with a much worse team.

 

[Mike Liut]

Absolutely. Even if it is a bit of an overpayment it is a good investment to open the contention window sooner and we likely have 3-4 other LD in our system that will be NHL players in 3-4 years besides Broberg and Tucker once Fowler hangs them up.

I think NJ asks for more. Probably in the Jecho tier

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Again. He has shown he is willing to change his play to get better. This is the first year he was one of the top targets the opposing team was aiming towards. I'm willing to bet he'll be coming into next year with that knowledge and ways to correct what was broken, just like he came into the last 2 years with ways to get better defensively.

I'm all for a trade where we can get a Top Defenseman or a Top Center. But trading him just to trade him has all of the ingredients to come out the other side with a much worse team.

The Buch trade and Fowler trade worked out fairly well. I trust in DA to find value and not ship him out just cause. Great window to make a deal before the NTC kicks in.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Yes, even Lindstein. Nemec is ready for 18-20 minutes a night in the NHL next season, so he immediately opens our contention window a little sooner. Lindstein probably won’t ever be as impactful, and might not start helping the cause for 3-4 years.

i'm not sure he's ready for 18-20 minutes a night next season in the NHL. He was pretty bad in limited usage this season. Performance alone, minus the first half of his rookie season, he's been really bad, like really really bad. I didn't follow much of what he did in the postseason.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Kyrou doesnt even board battle during the season, i dont think an injury changed his performance. His game just doesnt translate well to playoffs. He's no Vladdy, gets pushed off pucks too easily while attempting to go around defenders and out right refusing to go into the corners. Fingers crossed for a hockey trade.

We can win all of the board battles we want, if we have nobody that Thomas can pass it to it doesn't really matter.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I'll keep the guy who is going to be paid like a 2nd liner in a couple of years who's producing like a first liner currently and is still only 26 vs having to try to bet on a young guy to not go through all of the growing pains that we're almost out of with Kyrou.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

We can win all of the board battles we want, if we have nobody that Thomas can pass it to it doesn't really matter.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. I'll keep the guy who is going to be paid like a 2nd liner in a couple of years who's producing like a first liner currently and is still only 26 vs having to try to bet on a young guy to not go through all of the growing pains that we're almost out of with Kyrou.

Young guy? You don't think other teams would offer other NHLers for Kyrou? Only prospects or picks? Im not advocating for that.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Young guy? You don't think other teams would offer other NHLers for Kyrou? Only prospects or picks? Im not advocating for that.

Most teams don’t trade core pieces unless they’re looking for a full scale shakeup.

I’m sure there’s a hypothetical out there where it could make sense, but it’s highly unlikely. Most teams that want to add a Kyrou or a guy signed to a significant contract with term want to add him to a core.

Who would we be looking at in a deal like that?

Buffalo? Maybe, but I’d much prefer Kyrou to Peterka. Would love McLeod as others have said but it would be to put in between Kyrou and Holloway so that’s fairly moot.

Detroit? Sure would love to have Larkin, but it sure feels like Yzerman would be gone before Larkin and they aren’t exactly overflowing with top 6 centers.

Ottawa? They finally make the playoffs. Don’t think trading Brady is in their deck of cards and I’m not sure if we could support turning around and paying him 13m a year when he’s up for a new contract, it also really cuts down the team speed that we just retooled to add. Would probably do it 1-1 but it would send a bad message for them.

Almost any cap strapped team would be nearly impossible to make a deal like this with if they’re a successful team.

I’ve seen Cirelli floating around a bit here, wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. But he’s far from a dynamic player we’d need to get creative in scoring more goals especially when secondary scoring from our middle 6 killed us in the playoffs.

 

[Reality Czech]

Again. He has shown he is willing to change his play to get better. This is the first year he was one of the top targets the opposing team was aiming towards. I'm willing to bet he'll be coming into next year with that knowledge and ways to correct what was broken, just like he came into the last 2 years with ways to get better defensively.

I'm all for a trade where we can get a Top Defenseman or a Top Center. But trading him just to trade him has all of the ingredients to come out the other side with a much worse team.

And the excuses go on and on lol. Can you just admit that he let the team down in this playoff series? Players with higher expectations get criticized more, that's just how it works. We needed more from our highest paid winger.

No one credible is saying to trade him just to trade him, so it's kind of silly to keep bringing that up. I just find it funny that Kyrou gets so much leeway while someone like Neighbours doesn't get credit for what he does. He had a great first playoff run but people will still keep downplaying him next year I'm sure. I guess it's just human nature to play favorites.

 

[WeWentBlues]

Agree that Kyrou had a very underwhelming playoff series, Game 7 in particular. However, he's also been able to elevate his game in the playoffs in the past as a much less mature player in the 21-22 season when he registered 7 goals and 2 assists in 12 games and was probably our best forward 5on5 that playoff.

The Kyrou contract will be an absolute bargain in the rising cap era. I'd also be concerned about breaking up Kyrou/Holloway as those two were electric on the same line. The only way I would move Kyrou would be for an upgrade at a position of need (2C/RHD) and not for a collection of magic beans. The emergence of Snuggerud and Bolduc and the pending NTC kicking in on July 1 have really brought this discussion to a fever pitch. I do not envy the position Armstrong is in here. Getting Oshie 2.0 vibes. Hoping Army won't make the same mistake twice.

 

[jjniner]

Thoughts?

Blues offer our first, Hofer and Kyrou for McLeod and the Sabres 9th.

 

[Stealth JD]

Thoughts?

Blues offer our first, Hofer and Kyrou for McLeod and the Sabres 9th.

Gross, Blues get hosed.

The gap in quality from pick 9 to 19 is not worth the gap in quality from Kyrou to McLeod. And we’re throwing in Hofer to boot?

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I think NJ asks for more. Probably in the Jecho tier

What about Nemec makes you think he would be worth a blue chip defensive prospect, a top-20 pick, and a B-tier forward prospect? I would be pleased to add him to our squad, but that seems more like a package for an established NHL player. Aside from the direction he holds his stick and his draft pedigree… why Nemec?

 

[bleedblue1223]

I have limited interest in Nemec. I'd do David Jiricek value, but nothing more. Our 1st would be our most valuable piece in the offer.

 

[Renard]

Jordan Kyrou and our 1st for Alex Tuch(8yr/8.5m) and Ryan Mcleod (8yr/6.5m) with extensions

Buchnevich-Thomaa-Snuggerrud
Holloway-Mcleod-Tuch
Neighbours-Schenn-Bolduc
WTF
Sundqvist

Move Joseph, Texier and Leddy
Sign Ekbald 7yr/9m

Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Ekblad
Tucker-Faulk
Suter

Leaves us about 8m to extend Hofer

With the cap increase in 2026 we have enough for a Broberg and Holloway extension too

I want to see Ellis play against NHL complet

Jordan Kyrou and our 1st for Alex Tuch(8yr/8.5m) and Ryan Mcleod (8yr/6.5m) with extensions

Buchnevich-Thomaa-Snuggerrud
Holloway-Mcleod-Tuch
Neighbours-Schenn-Bolduc
WTF
Sundqvist

Move Joseph, Texier and Leddy
Sign Ekbald 7yr/9m

Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Ekblad
Tucker-Faulk
Suter

Leaves us about 8m to extend Hofer

With the cap increase in 2026 we have enough for a Broberg and Holloway extension too

I want to see Ellis against the NHL before extending Hofer

 

[LogosBlue]

Most teams don’t trade core pieces unless they’re looking for a full scale shakeup.

Completely false. Colorado just did it with Rant. We did it with Oshie, Stasney etc. Happens all the time.

 

[Frenzy31]

Completely false. Colorado just did it with Rant. We did it with Oshie, Stasney etc. Happens all the time.

They will trade them IF: they are going into UFA or they are making a shake up trade.

 

[The Note]

Completely false. Colorado just did it with Rant. We did it with Oshie, Stasney etc. Happens all the time.

And of course the Rantenen trade is working beautifully for the Avs.

The Oshie trade is a perfect example of what BB14 is talking about; Armstrong referred to it as “shooting a hostage” around the time, IIRC. It was absolutely a shakeup of that group that wasn’t good enough to get past LA or Chicago.

 

[SirPaste]

And of course the Rantenen trade is working beautifully for the Avs.

The Oshie trade is a perfect example of what BB14 is talking about; Armstrong referred to it as “shooting a hostage” around the time, IIRC. It was absolutely a shakeup of that group that wasn’t good enough to get past LA or Chicago.

Agreed, everyone was clamoring that our core wasn't good enough and needed a shake up, thats what the Oshie trade was

 

[BadgersandBlues]

i'm not sure he's ready for 18-20 minutes a night next season in the NHL. He was pretty bad in limited usage this season. Performance alone, minus the first half of his rookie season, he's been really bad, like really really bad. I didn't follow much of what he did in the postseason.

I've soured on Nemec quite a bit recently. I watched a lot of the playoffs/end of regular season of the Devils, and his skating is honestly pretty bad. He's VERY slow skating forward, which worries me, b/c if we're spending premium assets, we should be getting back a guy who can help in transition, and I think his lack of footspeed will hamper that. He scored a nice goal in OT, but he had the whole neutral zone to pick up steam and therefore caught the Hurricanes in a bad change.

I wouldn't hate him, but he's further down the list then he was a couple of months ago.

 

[LogosBlue]

And of course the Rantenen trade is working beautifully for the Avs.

The Oshie trade is a perfect example of what BB14 is talking about; Armstrong referred to it as “shooting a hostage” around the time, IIRC. It was absolutely a shakeup of that group that wasn’t good enough to get past LA or Chicago.

I agree that was a shake up move but not a "full scale shake up" as BB14 was kinda referencing

Also, I didn't like the Oshie trade when we made it and the Rant trade was a true head scratcher.

 

[Brian39]

61)I just hope one of Neighbours, Bolduc, or Snuggerud can break out into a 35 goal scorer by next year if we trade Kyrou.

We're already a pretty meh offensive team. Subtract Kyrou’s goals from last year's team and we would have the 3rd worst offense in the league. He was also tied for 5th in the league in 5v5 goals.

He was also tied for 15th in 2023/24 and tied for 18th in 2022/23. He has 69 goals at 5 on 5 over the last 3 seasons, which is 8th in the NHL over that stretch. He's 17th in 5 on 5 points in that time. He is right on the fringe of being a truly elite 5 on 5 scorer.

His 25 goals at 5 on 5 this year was 9 goals ahead of 2nd place on the Blues (Holloway and Buch tied with 16). Everyone else on the team was 11+ goals behind him at 5 on 5 this year. He is the only player on our roster who has ever scored 20+ goals at 5 on 5 in a season and he has hit that mark for 4 straight years (and was on pace for it in the 56 game COVID season).

I think that people wildly underestimate just how hard it is to consistently score 20+ goals at 5 on 5 in a season and how valuable that is to a team.

What's really interesting is that Monty seems content to leave Kyrou off the top PP unit in favor of having Snuggy and Bolduc's elite releases flanking Thomas as one-time threats. Top unit PP time is pretty much the best way to get those two guys the 'leap' in production we hope for and it looks like they have the inside track to get it next year without preventing Kyrou from approaching or hitting his usual 30 goal mark. If Kyrou hits the 22 goal floor at 5 on 5 that he's hit the last 4 seasons, then you're talking about him just needing to snag 8 goals at 3 on 3, 4 on 4, empty net situations, and the 2nd PP unit. That is entirely doable. And barring a Holloway/Thomas/Kyrou load-it-up top line next year, his chemistry with Holloway very likely means that at least one of those young guys you mention gets to ride shotgun with Thomas.

I really, really, really don't believe that getting Kyrou off the roster would help to unlock 35+ goal potential in one of those guys. They will have ample opportunity to hit their ceilings with Kyrou around. They can get top unit PP time and (at least one) has the chance to earn a permanent spot taking passes from Thomas at 5 on 5 all year. "1st line with Thomas and top unit PP time" is pretty much the recipe to get the most possible goals from a young shooter. And having Holloway/Kyrou as a speedy scoring line behind that line means more favorable matchups for the youngsters as teams use their good D to try and neutralize Holloway/Kyrou. Quite frankly, I think that moving Kyrou would make it less likely that one of those guys breaks out to a 35+ goal scorer.

I've said before that I'd move Kyrou in the right deal, but it has to really, really be the right deal to fill a critical position of need. Because the offense gets worse without him, even if all the youngsters are everything we hope.

 

[Stelmacki]

Thoughts?

Blues offer our first, Hofer and Kyrou for McLeod and the Sabres 9th.

Is there another Ryan McLeod that I’m not aware of? Wtf is with people here over-rating the shit out of him?

 

[Brian39]

Kyrou doesnt even board battle during the season, i dont think an injury changed his performance. His game just doesnt translate well to playoffs. He's no Vladdy, gets pushed off pucks too easily while attempting to go around defenders and out right refusing to go into the corners. Fingers crossed for a hockey trade.

Kyrou has 10 goals in 19 playoff games between our 2021/22 and 2024/25 playoff appearances. The 3 other forwards who were on our roster for both years (Thomas, Buch, and Schenn) combined for 10 goals in that stretch.

No Blues forward had a higher on-ice xGF than Kyrou in the playoffs this year. No Blues forward had a better high danger chance percentage. No Blues forward was on the ice for more high danger chances at 5 on 5. He was 4th among Blues forwards in xGF% (2nd among the top 9). No Blues forward took more shots than Kyrou. And Kyrou tied for the team lead in goals.

I didn't like how much he shied away from contact after the big open ice hit he took. Maybe it was injury or maybe that hit rattled him and scared him away from contact. But that was a tangible part of his game that needs improvement.

But this notion that his offensive generation doesn't translate to the playoffs has gotten ridiculous. I think his weaknesses become larger in the playoffs, but I very much disagree that his strengths don't translate. 3 goals in 7 games is a 35 goal pace and his 7 goals in 12 games in 2021/22 was a 47 goal pace. I want to see continued improvement in the rest of his game in future playoff appearances, but let's not act like he's not primarily paid to create offensive chances and put the puck in the net. Those are his two primary skills and they have absolutely translated to the playoffs.

 

[TheDizee]

Agree that Kyrou had a very underwhelming playoff series, Game 7 in particular. However, he's also been able to elevate his game in the playoffs in the past as a much less mature player in the 21-22 season when he registered 7 goals and 2 assists in 12 games and was probably our best forward 5on5 that playoff.

The Kyrou contract will be an absolute bargain in the rising cap era. I'd also be concerned about breaking up Kyrou/Holloway as those two were electric on the same line. The only way I would move Kyrou would be for an upgrade at a position of need (2C/RHD) and not for a collection of magic beans. The emergence of Snuggerud and Bolduc and the pending NTC kicking in on July 1 have really brought this discussion to a fever pitch. I do not envy the position Armstrong is in here. Getting Oshie 2.0 vibes. Hoping Army won't make the same mistake twice.

Was only productive in 22 because he was going against teams 2nd/3rd lines.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

He was also tied for 15th in 2023/24 and tied for 18th in 2022/23. He has 69 goals at 5 on 5 over the last 3 seasons, which is 8th in the NHL over that stretch. He's 17th in 5 on 5 points in that time. He is right on the fringe of being a truly elite 5 on 5 scorer.

His 25 goals at 5 on 5 this year was 9 goals ahead of 2nd place on the Blues (Holloway and Buch tied with 16). Everyone else on the team was 11+ goals behind him at 5 on 5 this year. He is the only player on our roster who has ever scored 20+ goals at 5 on 5 in a season and he has hit that mark for 4 straight years (and was on pace for it in the 56 game COVID season).

I think that people wildly underestimate just how hard it is to consistently score 20+ goals at 5 on 5 in a season and how valuable that is to a team.

What's really interesting is that Monty seems content to leave Kyrou off the top PP unit in favor of having Snuggy and Bolduc's elite releases flanking Thomas as one-time threats. Top unit PP time is pretty much the best way to get those two guys the 'leap' in production we hope for and it looks like they have the inside track to get it next year without preventing Kyrou from approaching or hitting his usual 30 goal mark. If Kyrou hits his 22 goal floor at 5 on 5 that he's hit the last 4 seasons, your talking about him just needing to snag 8 goals at 3 on 3, 4 on 4, empty net situations, and the 2nd PP unit. That is entirely doable. And barring a Holloway/Thomas/Kyrou load-it-up top line next year, his chemistry with Holloway very likely means that at least one of those young guys you mention gets to ride shotgun with Thomas.

I really, really, really don't believe that getting Kyrou off the roster would help to unlock 35+ goal potential in one of those guys. They will have ample opportunity to hit their ceilings with Kyrou around. They can get top unit PP time and (at least one) has the chance to earn a permanent spot taking passes from Thomas at 5 on 5 all year. "1st line with Thomas and top unit PP time" is pretty much the recipe to get the most possible goals from a young shooter. And having Holloway/Kyrou as a speedy scoring line behind that line means more favorable defensive matchups. Quite frankly, I think that moving Kyrou would make it less likely that one of those guys breaks out to a 35+ goal scorer.

I've said before that I'd move Kyrou in the right deal, but it has to really, really be the right deal to fill a critical position of need. Because the offense gets worse without him, even if all the youngsters are everything we hope.

To me Montgomery’s usage of Kyrou is about weaponizing his speed. Thats largely irrelevant on the PP. a lot of his danger to opponents is off the rush, and that is more lethal with Holloway on the rush with him.

Gives more opportunities for a Snuggerud shot to find a spot. Next season should be interesting.

I really don’t understand the calls to trade Kyrou. To me the solution is to add another threat as dangerous as he is that makes it impossible for opponents to account for both of them as effectively. Suddenly Kyrou will have more impact.