2024-2025 Blues Trade Proposals Thread.

[bleedblue1223]

The problem with projecting what moves we can make or even discussing a hypothetical Kyrou trade, no moves are made just by themselves in a vacuum. Remember when we signed Perron and Bozak after failing to acquire O'Reilly at the draft, and we all assumed we were just getting the consolation prizes, but those on the inside knew it meant the exact opposite. After the fact, Botterill said that once he saw the Blues sign those guys, he knew they were replacements for Sobotka and Berglund and that the Blues were going to make the deal for O'Reilly.

Any Kyrou trade would come with some sort of top 6 winger acquisition. Just how major D acquisition is probably paired with Leddy or Faulk leaving. If we move Schenn, it just means we'd be acquiring another C.

And while there isn't that legal negotiation period anymore. Free agency is still going to open July 1st and we are still going to have a bunch of players conveniently signing at the start. Whether we trade Kyrou or not, Army and group will have a plan of multiple moves for how to build the roster. It's not like we are limited to 1 single move or can only make 1 move at a time and then have to figure out what to do next.

 

[Louie the Blue]

I don’t see the point in trading Kyrou given his age and contract unless it’s to acquire a player of similar caliber, age, and contract at RHD.

 

[Majorityof1]

I know people who don't like Kyrou want to trade him for whatever reason, and some people view him as a valuable trade chip. But is there any indication (rumor, press remark out of context, anything) that Doug Armstrong or Alex Steen want to trade him? I heard a lot of Blues names mentioned at this past trade deadline, but I can't recall any credible source saying Kyrou's name had come up.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I don’t see the point in trading Kyrou given his age and contract unless it’s to acquire a player of similar caliber, age, and contract at RHD.

So, basically McAvoy or Hronek. Those are the only two RHD in the league with contracts at least as long as Kyrou, at the same age. If you expand the list to guys below 28, you add Mo Seider and Erik Cernak.

 

[SirPaste]

I know people who don't like Kyrou want to trade him for whatever reason, and some people view him as a valuable trade chip. But is there any indication (rumor, press remark out of context, anything) that Doug Armstrong or Alex Steen want to trade him? I heard a lot of Blues names mentionrf at this past trade deadline, but I can't recall any credible source saying Kyrou's name had come up.

No, if anything Army's comments on Kyrou were that he is happy with him and seems like he isn't going anywhere

 

[Majorityof1]

No, if anything Army's comments on Kyrou were that he is happy with him and seems like he isn't going anywhere

Exactly. So why us everyone spending so much time discussing it like its a foregone conclusion he's at least being shopped?

 

[Reality Czech]

Unless Tuch was sent here as part of the return? They could then move JJP and Byram in separate deals to fill out their roster. In all likelihood, Tuch is probably not someone they would consider moving even though he only has 1 year left on his deal. He's from NY and is planning to extend in Buffalo long term by all accounts. He only has a 5 team NTC so he likely wouldn't be able to block a trade to St. Louis but also would not likely extend here.

What insurances/sweeteners would you want on a Kyrou for Tuch swap if you are the Blues? From Buffalo's POV, they would be getting a RW back of similar age (27 vs 29) and similar production (70-80 pts) already signed to a good surplus value contract with 5 years remaining vs. extending Tuch who has already indicated he wants to re-sign there and already has shown chemistry with current teammates. Given their need for RHD, would they have interest in Faulk? Could take back Clifton back as a cap dump. Maybe a swap of 1st round picks and prospect? Typed all of that to just realize it's not a good idea for either team.

Yeah I figure Tuch is one guy they won't move unless he tells them he's ready to move on, which could happen. He's a respected veteran with local ties, so I imagine he's pretty important to that franchise. And I'm sure Buffalo is near the top of Faulk's no trade list.

Buffalo does have some interesting trade pieces but I'm not sure I see a fit unless we want to make Dvorsky, Snuggerud and other premium pieces available. And I'm hesitant to do that right now.

 

[Spektre]

Exactly. So why us everyone spending so much time discussing it like its a foregone conclusion he's at least being shopped?

It’s the offseason and… we’re all virtual GM’s

 

[SirPaste]

Yeah I figure Tuch is one guy they won't move unless he tells them he's ready to move on, which could happen. He's a respected veteran with local ties, so I imagine he's pretty important to that franchise. And I'm sure Buffalo is near the top of Faulk's no trade list.

Buffalo does have some interesting trade pieces but I'm not sure I see a fit unless we want to make Dvorsky, Snuggerud and other premium pieces available. And I'm hesitant to do that right now.

TBH I don't even think this is what Buffalo is looking for at the moment, they want established players who can help them make the playoffs right now.

 

[Brian39]

Taylor hall - previously first oa - was 25 when traded one for one for a 24 y/o 6’3” rhd with 1 year remaining. I think the islanders would point at stuff like this if they’re considering offers, be able to demand a full time young bonafide top 6 skater. I think Dobson’s gonna be expensive (Kyrou/Neighbors) if he moves but I think I hope I’m wrong.

Hall was traded for Larsson in the summer of 2016. At that time, Larsson had 5 years left on his contract at $4.16M AAV (5.6% of the cap for his first year in Edmonton).

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I know people who don't like Kyrou want to trade him for whatever reason, and some people view him as a valuable trade chip. But is there any indication (rumor, press remark out of context, anything) that Doug Armstrong or Alex Steen want to trade him? I heard a lot of Blues names mentioned at this past trade deadline, but I can't recall any credible source saying Kyrou's name had come up.

I think it’s fairly unlikely Kyrou gets moved, but I don’t see him in the Thomas and Parayko tier where it feels inconceivable.

 

[Brian39]

Peterka only had 9 less goals and 2 less points than Kyrou last year. And that was playing on a terrible team. Also Snuggerud and Holloway were never in the lineup together so our scoring depth is far greater than last year. So Kyrou's goals will be made up and then some

You keep ignoring that Buffalo was a good offensive team, which makes it hard to believe that you watched much of Peterka playing this year. Buffalo finished 10th in the league in goals (we were 13th). They had 4 guys top 65 points this year (we had 2) and 6 guys top 50 (we had 5). Buffalo's issue this year was that they couldn't keep the puck out of their own net, not that their offense was bad.

 

[Brian39]

I understand the timing of the issue given his NTC kicks in on July 1, but for those who are "eager" to trade Kyrou (not necessarily those who are just "willing under the right circumstances") please note the following:

Top 2 goal scorers 2024-2025 regular season
Jordan Kyrou - 36
Dylan Holloway - 26

Top 2 goal scorers 2023-2024 regular season
Jordan Kyrou - 31
Pavel Buchnevich - 27

Top 2 goal scorers 2022-2023 regular season
Jordan Kyrou - 37
Pavel Buchnevich - 26

For the last three years, he has led this team in goals scored, with two of the three years seeing second place 10 or more goals behind. He's not Brett Hull in that he is unlikely to challenge the league lead in goal scoring in the future, but I find it odd that there are people that think it would be good for the team, or at least no big deal, to move him off the roster. And we're supposed to believe that its OK because a trifecta of 23 and under guys are going to pick up the slack, two of which have less than 100 NHL games under their belt?

I'm not saying he's untouchable, but you need to be winning that trade pretty significantly (think an under-30 2C that could eventually challenge Thomas for 1C, or an under-30 established top pairing RHD) and you had better have a plan for replacing his goal scoring with someone who is not yet on the roster. Otherwise, you're almost certainly taking a step back on your way to taking multiple steps forward, and this team is currently poised to make improvements every year on their way to Cup contention. Kyrou may not be a "glue guy" in the conventional sense, but he's a guy that is far and away the best player on your current roster at one of the most important skills in the game, and you can't just let that go without a clear plan to replace that skill in the short-term, not just the long-term. Once you take a step back, there is no guarantee that you regain your momentum for moving forward.

And on top of all this, Kyrou gets a big chunk of his scoring done at 5 on 5. His 25 goals at 5 on 5 were tied for 5th in the NHL this year and he's been in the top 20 in goals at 5 on 5 for each of the last 3 seasons. He's the only player on our roster who has ever scored 20+ goals at 5 on 5 in a season. He's done it for 4 straight years.

I also disagree with the notion that we don't risk getting less out of Holloway without Kyrou because Holloway drove that line. Don't get me wrong, I loved Holloway's game this year and agree that he was a big contributor to that line's success. But this was Holloway's breakout year alongside Kyrou, who didn't see a surge in production. I think there is more evidence that Kyrou unlocked something in Holloway than the other way around. I don't think we can just assume that Holloway is going to maintain what we saw this year without Kyrou.

 

[Xanadude]

Kyrou is our best player with no trade protection and he plays at the position we are deepest at organizationally. I don't want to trade him unless we are making a massive upgrade to our organizational weaknesses (2c and 2hd) and we can find a way to patch his production with a middle six winger for a year or two. It'd be hard to swallow even if we could, and if there is a trade out there where 2c or 2hd gets improved without touching the roster, I'd prefer that.

But when it comes to why discuss Kyrou when there's little smoke about him recently, I finally found a bit of internet evidence this happened: On 101 about a year ago, Rutherford did an interview where he, really emphatically, said that he was quite confident Kyrou wouldn't finish his contract here. Link to a Reddit post about it. Now, I do love that the top comment roasts Rutherford, but saying something like that is so out of character for him that I was quite taken aback when I first heard it.

Now, the team is in a much different spot today than we were this time last year. A lot has changed for us and for Kyrou, and ofc Rutherford could be full of it. But until that trade door shuts on July 1st, I would have to think that our biggest trade chip could move--even if he shouldn't. (especially not for Peterka. Buffalo just doesn't make sense._

 

[Majorityof1]

I think it’s fairly unlikely Kyrou gets moved, but I don’t see him in the Thomas and Parayko tier where it feels inconceivable.

I don't see him in the Thomas tier, absolutely. I see Parayko a tier down from Thomas due to age. I see Parayko closer to Kyrou than Thomas. Neither us untouchable but we'd have to "win" the trade AND have a plan in place to replace their role. Kyou as a winger seems easier to replace but as a 30+ goal scorer is just as difficult.

Either way, he is unlikely enough to be traded that it doesn't make sense to duscuss it so much. There are 20x mire posts talking about Kyrou trades than guys who are 10x more likely to be traded.

 

[Brian39]

The more I think about Rossi, the more interested I'm getting in trading the 19th overall for him without engaging in any contract negotiation at all and then promptly play a bit of hardball in negotiations to get him for less than the $7M x 7 he's seeking. He doesn't have arbitration rights and any offer with an AAV north of $4.7M puts us into the compensation tier for an unprotected 2026 1st and 3rd round picks. $7.1M+ would be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Not a bad safety net if someone did try to offer sheet him while we were negotiating. Going from 19th overall in 2025 to an unprotected 2026 1st plus more wouldn't be a bad safety net to negotiations.

Maybe we shoot for a bridge or maybe we get more favorable terms on a long term deal than the $7M x 7 he's seeking. Either way, I don't buy that Rossi would simply sit out next year if he can't get $7Mx7 and I trust Army's ability to get deals we view as fair from RFAs. And if hardball eliminates the possibility of a long term deal forever, I'd be content using him as a cheaper center for a couple years and then trading him while he still has RFA years left down the line.

 

[bleedblue1223]

The more I think about Rossi, the more interested I'm getting in trading the 19th overall for him without engaging in any contract negotiation at all and then promptly play a bit of hardball in negotiations to get him for less than the $7M x 7 he's seeking. He doesn't have arbitration rights and any offer with an AAV north of $4.7M puts us into the compensation tier for an unprotected 2026 1st and 3rd round picks. $7.1M+ would be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Not a bad safety net if someone did try to offer sheet him while we were negotiating. Going from 19th overall in 2025 to an unprotected 2026 1st plus more wouldn't be a bad safety net to negotiations.

Maybe we shoot for a bridge or maybe we get more favorable terms on a long term deal than the $7M x 7 he's seeking. Either way, I don't buy that Rossi would simply sit out next year if he can't get $7Mx7 and I trust Army's ability to get deals we view as fair from RFAs. And if hardball eliminates the possibility of a long term deal forever, I'd be content using him as a cheaper center for a couple years and then trading him while he still has RFA years left down the line.

I'm skeptical that Minnesota would trade him here. Obviously they aren't very high on him, so I could see them doing it, but I could easily taking our 19th as a worst case scenario and prefer to take a worse pick from a team outside of the Central.

If Minnesota accepts our offer, I'd go to Rossi and say, we are going to put you between Holloway and Kyrou on day 1. We can then either discuss a long-term deal that makes sense or try and go a bridge route. It's somewhat like a Broberg situation where you are going to convince the player by telling him the plan on how to use him.

I'd still have concerns on his ability in the playoffs, but it's becoming obvious that whatever team gets him, could very well get him at an asset cost discount.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Since we're on the topic of equivalency, we should swap Kyrou for Morgan Geekie. MG had 1 more 5v5 goal last year than Kyrou, plays a more valuable position, and is only an RFA. Heck, we could probably get one of BOS's 2nd rounders this year for our troubles.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'd like to get Geekie, but his 2nd half was bonkers to the point that I'd be scared of the ask. In final 55 games, he scored 33 goals, 51 points, which sounds great, but he shot 27.9%. He looks like he's more of a McCann than a true C, and a lot of that is a product of playing with Pasta.

 

[Majorityof1]

I'd like to get Geekie, but his 2nd half was bonkers to the point that I'd be scared of the ask. In final 55 games, he scored 33 goals, 51 points, which sounds great, but he shot 27.9%. And he looks like he's more of a McCann than a true C. And a lot of that is a product of playing with Pasta.

Yea, his shooting percentage and the age at which he blew up makes me wonder if he can sustain that level of production. Kyrou has 3 years of 30 goals and shot like 16% this season. Thst is up but not as high a jump as Geekie had over his norm.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Yea, his shooting percentage and the age at which he blew up makes me wonder if he can sustain that level of production. Kyrou has 3 years of 30 goals and shot like 16% this season. Thst is up but not as high a jump as Geekie had over his norm.

Somewhat comparable to Barbashev's breakout in 21/22. I'm confident that Geekie will be a solid player moving forward, he was someone I wanted to get prior to his crazy 2nd half, but I don't know how to properly value him.

 

[BleedBlue14]

josh Norris for Dylan cozens is all you need as evidence.

It just happened

Cozens has:

Higher pedigree - 7th oa
Taller - 6’3”
Bigger - 203lbs
Higher single season points
Multi 80+ game seasons
More term
Is younger


And was traded for the other guy who has half a dozen surgeries

Sometimes the value is that you have to trade the guy and you get what you get. It’s about other things than the true value of the player. Oshie for Brouwer.

You aren't really outlining the reasons why Buffalo needed to trade Cozens though. He had one really good season where he looked like a potential budding star and then the past two seasons or season and 2/3rds with Buffalo he looked more like a 3rd line producer, after he already signed a large extension.

He's about one repeat season from potentially being a negative value contract for what he brings.

They got back a pretty equally risky player in Norris though who has a bit better of results (normally) but is consistently hurt. Ottawa seemed to need someone that was more reliable and Buffalo seemed to need a shakeup and a more consistent player.

 

[Mike Liut]

Looking back, Army really made great trades acquiring Schenn and ROR (even though TT is a beast). Those trades kind of came out of nowhere for me. Does he have more magic in him this off season? Centers are a premium right now and very hard to get.

 

[Louie the Blue]

Looking back, Army really made great trades acquiring Schenn and ROR (even though TT is a beast). Those trades kind of came out of nowhere for me. Does he have more magic in him this off season? Centers are a premium right now and very hard to get.

To be fair, I believe ROR was someone the Blues were rumored to be interested in for a while. Similar to Ryan Miller and Bouwmeester.

Schenn came out of nowhere as did the Broberg and Holloway offersheets.

I believe given Armstrong’s messaging about wanting to acquire a complete player, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does land a bigger name.

 

[LogosBlue]

I'd like to see Ivan Barbashev come back. Vegas may want to get rid of him if they are trying to land a big fish because of his cap hit. I honestly think it was a mistake to deal him to begin with (especially for the return and looking at our lack of center depth now.) He'd make a nice 2nd / 3rd pair center to flip flop with Schenn. What do you guys think it would take to bring him back into the fold?