As the NHL heads further into the offseason, the Montreal Canadiens remain the most interesting team when it comes to trades. Their blockbuster trade for Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders remains one of the best this year.
Not to mention, they have also been successful in securing Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. General Manager Kent Hughes has been adamant about making sure the Canadiens are strong both on the front and on the blue line.
And as recent rumors suggest, they are already looking at their next big target for their top six.
Jordan Kyrou Remains in the Montreal Canadiens’ Sights Despite Cap Space Struggles
As free agency further stretches, the Canadiens have been trying to go for multiple names, with one of them being Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou is currently on an eight-year, $65 million deal with the St. Louis Blues. Currently, there are still six years remaining on his contract.
According to sources who spoke to RG, the Canadiens are still on the hunt for Kyrou despite the contract. But for that to happen, the Montreal outfit would need to clear their financial situation, with them already being $5.4 million over the cap space.
The market for centers has been stagnant since all the big names have already been picked, and that puts Kyrou as the next possible big name, which the Canadiens are trying for. With 70 points (34 goals and 36 assists) across 82 regular-season games, he has been in phenomenal form.
Not to mention, with Ivan Demidov being on the wings of the Canadiens’ offense, Kyrou in the center would no doubt give some direction to Montreal. Hughes knows that it takes time to build a team and keep it ready for the playoffs.
And with the Canadiens narrowly missing the playoffs last season, he doesn’t want the same mistakes again. And for that, they need a No. 2 center who can play alongside Nick Suzuki. That remains the Canadiens’ primary agenda for this July.
While guys like Alex Newhook or Jake Evans can be used as substitutes for that role, they will need a long-term fix if they want to keep their Stanley Cup dream alive. But for that, they will need to secure Kyrou, who has a no-move clause on his contract.
With still six years remaining on his deal, there doesn’t seem to be as much chance for Kyrou to waive the clause. This takes it for the Canadiens to offer him a deal good enough for the center to leave St. Louis. This will be tougher as Montreal deals with its cap situation.
According to RG, some key trades need to be made first in order to secure cap space. While there don’t seem to be any immediate signs for Montreal to make a splash, a bona fide top-six piece would also help get Kirby Dach back on track.
