Confirmed Trade: [WSH/STL] Jordan Kyrou for Connor McMichael, Milton Gastrin, 2026 1st round pick (16th overall)

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Blues GM knows how to get hauls for his guys.

Yet half our fan base whines about him constantly lmao

 

[PensandCaps]

You, like a lot of other posters have no idea what the Caps are right now.

They were 2nd in the NHL in 2025, and then 7th or 8th in wins this past season (despite not making the playoffs).

Adding Kyrou, Cole Hutson, potentially Ilya Protas and another breakthrough for Leonard and the Caps are a much better team going into 2026/27 than they were the last 2 years

Yah even though i dont like this trade, this does make them a better team with a deep deep forward group in the short term.

 

[Fez Whatley]

What happened in st louis? Why did kyrou turn to crap and what went on with thomas this year that made the blues want to shop him around? Why has buchnevich turned to crap?

On paper st louis should have a great group of forwards.

Kyrou was a soft lazy baby and Buch seems to be in debt or something cuz he like to throw games away

 

[TheDizee]

What happened in st louis? Why did kyrou turn to crap and what went on with thomas this year that made the blues want to shop him around? Why has buchnevich turned to crap?

On paper st louis should have a great group of forwards.

hes a lazy soft player who cares more about fortnite than winning. one of the worst defensive players i have ever seen and gets worse offensively every year.

 

[dgibb10]

I had him going to the NJD also.

But I guess once Nemec moved, there was no longer the primary trade chip for that to work any more.

NJDs comp to this would have probably been 12th overall+Mercer probably. Or 2027 1st+Mercer+Casey

Mercer vs McMichael
12th vs 16th+Gastrin

My offer personally I would have done was 12th+44th+3rd rounder, so I can see how 12th+3rd=16th+Gastrin, and 44th overall falls short to McMichael.

I think I've gotta start bumping up every star veteran player offer this offseason by a late 1st or an early 2nd.

I had Tkachuk as 9th+Samoskekvich, and he got an additional 2030 1st.
And here my Kyrou offer seems to be short by about an early 2nd/late 1st of value

 

[max21]

Washington got a great player with still keeping one of their first rounders and didn’t really give up any of their top prospects. I was personally worried we would trade Cristall. McMichael is a good player but he’s not even close to Kyrou, not to mention he’s on a great deal

 

[Kalopsia]

Trading first round picks like pokemon trading cards is absolutely dangerous.

This is the first time the Caps have traded their 1st since 2021, and they also have the 18th overall from trading Carlson.

Win now move for Washington. Yeah. They're totally ready to win now..

I don't understand it from Wash POV. They moved Carlsson out and Ovy is a free agent. Their cup team save for Wilson is basically all but gone. Not sure why they moved a 25 year old C, plus Gastrin and a 1st for a 28 year old winger who has fallen out of favour of 2 good HC in Berube and Monty.

Ovechkin has this weird distortion effect where everyone outside of DC assumes that because Ovie's old everyone around him is too. This is the Caps' core right now:

Tom Wilson - 32
Matt Roy - 31
Logan Thompson - 29
Dylan Strome - 29
Jakob Chychrun - 28
Jordan Kyrou - 28
Pierre-Luc Dubois - 27
Martin Fehervary - 26
Rasmus Sandin - 26
Aliaksei Protas - 25
Justin Sourdif - 24
Ryan Leonard - 21
Cole Hutson - 19
Ilya Protas - 19

The Caps aren't an old team. They were the best regular season team in the East two years ago, and one of the best teams ever to miss the playoffs in an injury-riddled season this year. They're not about to enter a rebuild.

 

[PensandCaps]

They are in a very good position to contend again and have multiple bluechip prospects ready to make an impact.

Plus Protas is the best non star 5v5 scorer in the league.

And his brother might be even better.

Washington is in a very sneaky good position.

Protas
Protas
Wilson
Leonard
Kyrou
Ovi
Strome
PLD

thats 8 top 6 Forwards

 

[matt trick]

That's a pretty dang good package for a guy it felt like they didn't want.

Thomas, Broberg, Holloway, Snuggerud, Stenberg, Dvorsky, Carbonneau and Jiricek is a good young core. 11, 15, and 16 is a lot of draft capital that I really like the top 15 or so. Got to think Parayko, Suter, Biddington, and Fowler will bring in more assets. They could add Belchetz, Gustafsson, and Hemming. Buch is a nice veteran to keep around as well, but I think he'd get a nice return.

If the Blues put themselves into position for a high lotto pick next year- let alone a lotto win- they could become a powerhouse rather quickly. How often does you rebuild have a top pairing d-man, #1 C, a couple top 6 wingers and one of the best C prospects in the league (Dvorsky) before it really even starts.

Imagine if they get Dupont, Joseph, or Privalov. Scary.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

That's insane value for Kyrou.

 

[matt trick]

This is the first time the Caps have traded their 1st since 2021, and they also have the 18th overall from trading Carlson.


Ovechkin has this weird distortion effect where everyone outside of DC assumes that because Ovie's old everyone around him is too. This is the Caps' core right now:

Tom Wilson - 32
Matt Roy - 31
Logan Thompson - 29
Dylan Strome - 29
Jakob Chychrun - 28
Jordan Kyrou - 28
Pierre-Luc Dubois - 27
Martin Fehervary - 26
Rasmus Sandin - 26
Aliaksei Protas - 25
Justin Sourdif - 24
Ryan Leonard - 21
Cole Hutson - 19
Ilya Protas - 19

The Caps aren't an old team. They were the best regular season team in the East two years ago, and one of the best teams ever to miss the playoffs in an injury-riddled season this year. They're not about to enter a rebuild.

Oh yeah? What about Carlson, Backstrom, Kuznetzov, and Oshie. Checkmate!

 

[Fight4yourRight]

Kyrou really isn’t all that great. Nice package for St Louis.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

NJDs comp to this would have probably been 12th overall+Mercer probably. Or 2027 1st+Mercer+Casey

Mercer vs McMichael
12th vs 16th+Gastrin

My offer personally I would have done was 12th+44th+3rd rounder, so I can see how 12th+3rd=16th+Gastrin, and 44th overall falls short to McMichael.

I think I've gotta start bumping up every star veteran player offer this offseason by a late 1st or an early 2nd.

I had Tkachuk as 9th+Samoskekvich, and he got an additional 2030 1st.
And here my Kyrou offer seems to be short by about an early 2nd/late 1st of value

I'm pretty sure that the Blues would rather have had Nemec + a smaller piece.

I don't think the 12th and Nemec are really comparable assets, at least to the Blues' needs.

 

[2023FriendshipTour]

That's a pretty dang good package for a guy it felt like they didn't want.

Thomas, Broberg, Holloway, Snuggerud, Stenberg, Dvorsky, Carbonneau and Jiricek is a good young core. 11, 15, and 16 is a lot of draft capital that I really like the top 15 or so. Got to think Parayko, Suter, Biddington, and Fowler will bring in more assets. They could add Belchetz, Gustafsson, and Hemming. Buch is a nice veteran to keep around as well, but I think he'd get a nice return.

If the Blues put themselves into position for a high lotto pick next year- let alone a lotto win- they could become a powerhouse rather quickly. How often does you rebuild have a top pairing d-man, #1 C, a couple top 6 wingers and one of the best C prospects in the league (Dvorsky) before it really even starts.

Imagine if they get Dupont, Joseph, or Privalov. Scary.

Do you think they'll be bad enough to get a top pick? I figure they'll be a fringe team again this year unless they unload some guys.

 

[Vegaspunk]

Love the Capitals loading up for one last dance with Ovi and Kyrou fits their window opening up, maybe a bit of an overpayment but I like this for both teams overall

 

[EastVillageBlues]

That's a pretty dang good package for a guy it felt like they didn't want.

Thomas, Broberg, Holloway, Snuggerud, Stenberg, Dvorsky, Carbonneau and Jiricek is a good young core. 11, 15, and 16 is a lot of draft capital that I really like the top 15 or so. Got to think Parayko, Suter, Biddington, and Fowler will bring in more assets. They could add Belchetz, Gustafsson, and Hemming. Buch is a nice veteran to keep around as well, but I think he'd get a nice return.

If the Blues put themselves into position for a high lotto pick next year- let alone a lotto win- they could become a powerhouse rather quickly. How often does you rebuild have a top pairing d-man, #1 C, a couple top 6 wingers and one of the best C prospects in the league (Dvorsky) before it really even starts.

Imagine if they get Dupont, Joseph, or Privalov. Scary.

What do you have to offer for Parayko?

Honestly, once he's dealt, our off-season work is more or less complete.

 

[CapsSkins]

Great trade and a win-win. Does this make Larkin consider Washington?

Strome, 18OA and a prospect for Larkin…

aProtas-Larkin-Kyrou
iProtas-PLD-Wilson
Ovie-Sourdif-Leonard

That’s a legit top-9.

 

[dgibb10]

I'm pretty sure that the Blues would rather have had Nemec + a smaller piece.

I don't think the 12th and Nemec are really comparable assets, at least to the Blues' needs.

Yeah fair enough. I'm making the comp based on what STL ended up getting.

16th overall as the centerpiece. NJDs 12th overall being higher eats up Gastrin.

Then a middle 6 24-25 year old around 0.5 ppg who's better suited to the wing in Mercer and McMichael. McMichael a bit more productive, mercer has that last RFA year and is a year younger.


Nemec ended up getting by my calculation 9th overall of value if you want to sub that in is probably Nemec+2nd+3rd?

 

[Captain Controversy]

Blues win the trade. Connor Mcmicheal is better than Kyrou lol

 

[EastVillageBlues]

Great trade and a win-win. Does this make Larkin consider Washington?

Strome, 18OA and a prospect for Larkin…

aProtas-Larkin-Kyrou
iProtas-PLD-Wilson
Ovie-Sourdif-Leonard

That’s a legit top-9.

Now with Kyrou, they already have a very good forward corps (assuming Ovi doesn't suddenly retire or something).

Shouldn't they be trying to use additional assets to fix the D?

 

[BWJM]

You, like a lot of other posters have no idea what the Caps are right now.

They were 2nd in the NHL in 2025, and then 7th or 8th in wins this past season (despite not making the playoffs).

Adding Kyrou, Cole Hutson, potentially Ilya Protas and another breakthrough for Leonard and the Caps are a much better team going into 2026/27 than they were the last 2 years

Planning a rebuild might’ve been a reach on my part, but I still feel the move is fairly lateral.

Don’t think the Blues got worse really and picked up another 1st round pick.

 

[matt trick]

What do you have to offer for Parayko?

Honestly, once he's dealt, our off-season work is more or less complete.

Parayko is interesting. I can't envision a better partner to help Dickinson develop into a two-way physical d-man. That (and shielding any other young D we add) is the principal value I see with Parayko, and it's significant!

However, I don't see him helping SJ win a cup in his first three years*, and in year 4, he'll be 37 by the playoffs. I'd obviously do something like 27+Bystedt/Musty, but that's less the 27th+Mrtka Buff offered, and it wasn't known they'd win the division at that point.

*Assuming we draft Stenberg, our top 6 will one guy who can legally drink (and only for 3 months!).

 

[WcRoenick97]

You, like a lot of other posters have no idea what the Caps are right now.

They were 2nd in the NHL in 2025, and then 7th or 8th in wins this past season (despite not making the playoffs).

Adding Kyrou, Cole Hutson, potentially Ilya Protas and another breakthrough for Leonard and the Caps are a much better team going into 2026/27 than they were the last 2 years

Have the majority of the non Caps fans in this thread even looked at the Caps roster in the last season? We are VERY close to contending again with a really great mix of youth and players entering their prime. We aren't a bunch of dinosaurs anymore. Great move and both teams benefit here imo.And I've been really pissed at our lack of activity the last 2 seasons, but this is hopefully the first domino.

Blues fans will love McNasty. I think he'll do well with a change of scenery too.

TJ Oshie 2, electirc boogaloo.

PLD , Chychrun, and Sourdif have worked out pretty well for us.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

Yeah fair enough. I'm making the comp based on what STL ended up getting.

16th overall as the centerpiece. NJDs 12th overall being higher eats up Gastrin.

Then a middle 6 24-25 year old around 0.5 ppg who's better suited to the wing in Mercer and McMichael. McMichael a bit more productive, mercer has that last RFA year and is a year younger.


Nemec ended up getting by my calculation 9th overall of value if you want to sub that in is probably Nemec+2nd+3rd?

The Washington package have two pieces that are fairly close in value to each other. Whereas Nemec would have been the bulk of the value coming from NJD (we really need a long term replacement for Parayko).

At #12, all of the first tier Ds will be likely gone, I don't think that really helps the Blues much in terms of how future holes are filled.

 

[Threetrees]

Blues win the trade. Connor Mcmicheal is better than Kyrou lol

Never watched hockey before huh?