The Edmonton Oilers’ first-round exit against the Anaheim Ducks has triggered a familiar offseason reckoning. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their prime and back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances now feeling like a distant memory, GM Stan Bowman faces pressure to reshape a roster that ran out of answers against an eighth seed.
Cap flexibility is limited. Darnell Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit looms large. The free agent market is thin. But one name keeps surfacing as a genuine summer possibility, and The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell has now put it into writing.
Jordan Kyrou Trade Rumors: Could the St. Louis Blues Winger Be the Oilers’ Big Summer Move?
Mitchell, writing in his in-depth breakdown of Edmonton’s offseason targets for The Athletic, laid out the case for Kyrou directly.
“I’ve discussed Jordan Kyrou before, but the Blues winger makes sense for the Oilers,” Mitchell wrote. “He’s the right age, St. Louis may want to move him, and the Oilers could have pieces — Nurse, Howard — that interest the team. Kyrou could play up and down the depth chart and serve as insurance for a Hyman injury.”
The logic is sound on both ends. Kyrou is 27 and signed through 2030-31 on an eight-year, $65 million deal worth $8.125 million per year, a contract that currently carries a full no-trade clause. He is exactly the type of high-end winger Edmonton needs to support their top two centers, a player with legitimate top-line upside who could also slot into a complementary role if needed.
Jordan Kyrou gives the Blues the lead on the power play 💪 pic.twitter.com/AhSFyXJTsC
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 11, 2026
In a season that saw him miss significant time with a lower-body injury and end the year undergoing a minor knee procedure in April, Kyrou posted 14 goals and 33 points in 48 games. Expected to be fully ready for training camp, his underlying talent remains undeniable; he has scored at least 30 goals in each of his last three full seasons, hitting 36 in 2024-25.
The Blues’ willingness to move him is the variable. St. Louis finished 29th in the NHL in 2025-26, a team firmly in transition. GM Doug Armstrong has never been shy about making aggressive moves when the return justifies it, and Kyrou’s contract, while sizeable, is also manageable in the context of a rising salary cap.
If the Blues are prepared to embark on a longer rebuild, moving Kyrou for blueline help and retooling assets is a conversation worth having.
Mitchell identified Nurse and Isaac Howard as the types of pieces Edmonton could offer. Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit through 2029-30 complicates any deal, especially with a no-movement clause in effect until next year. But the Blues need experienced defensive help, and Nurse, when motivated and healthy, remains a capable top-four presence.
Mitchell also floated a second option for Bowman to consider when targeting a wing to complement Draisaitl.
“If Bowman wants to find a veteran sniper to cash Leon Draisaitl’s passes, Owen Tippett might be the perfect fit,” Mitchell wrote. “The Flyers forward is 27 and has yet to score 30 goals. With Draisaitl as his centre, he could score many more than 30.”
READ MORE: ‘It’s A Joke’: Ex-NHLer Calls Out ‘Obvious Hate’ Against Oilers Star Evan Bouchard
Tippett posted 28 goals and 51 points in 81 games for Philadelphia in 2025-26, his best offensive season, and is under contract on an eight-year, $49.6 million extension. The idea of Tippett feeding off Draisaitl’s playmaking, rather than operating as a finisher in a mid-tier offence, is a compelling projection.
Both paths point to the same underlying reality. Edmonton’s window remains open, but the margin for error is shrinking. Bowman needs to swing big this summer, and the Oilers cannot afford another patchwork offseason after a first-round exit that exposed real depth issues on both sides of the puck.
