Although the offseason has yet to truly begin, for 30 NHL teams, it’s speculation time. Trade rumours are already beginning to pick up steam around the league. Dylan Larkin reportedly requesting a trade from Detroit, or the news of a Toronto-Montreal deadline deal involving Matthew Knies that broke down right at the end.
For the Edmonton Oilers, it sounds like Darnell Nurse’s time with the team is coming to an end. If the Oilers were to trade Nurse, and not take back a significant salary in return, they would have roughly $23M in cap space to seriously bolster their roster.
One name that has begun to emerge in trade speculation is Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues. Assuming the Oilers could make the space, let’s explore what a Kyrou deal would bring to Edmonton, and what kind of assets would have to go the other way.
Kyrou is a proven commodity
Simply put, Jordan Kyrou is a great player, and would be a big addition for Edmonton. At 6’1” and 196lbs, he’s a fast, offensively talented winger with a proven scoring history.
Since solidifying his NHL spot in the 2020–21 season, Kyrou has been good for 30–35 goals and 70 points a season. He’s a talented puck carrier, and has slowly begun to develop a sense for the defensive side of the game.
He finished 26th in Selke voting this season, ahead of Sidney Crosby and Matt Boldy. Despite last season’s disappointing 18 goal, 46 point campaign, he’s still one of the better wingers in the league. Entering his age 29 season, he fits right into the Oilers’ current age window.
Also, Kyrou is signed long term and has four years remaining at an AAV of $8.125M. He’s also represented by Dave Gagner, father of former Oiler Sam, by The Team (formerly Wasserman Group). This is the same agency of Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
Kyrou’s fit in Edmonton
Kyrou’s fit on the Oilers seems to be obvious. As a big bodied, smooth skating scoring winger, he would be the heir apparent to Zach Hyman’s spot on Connor McDavid’s wing. Although he is more of a shooter than Hyman ever was, Kyrou would slot in perfectly alongside McDavid and Matt Savoie on the first line.
Kyrou’s main offensive game comes off the rush, which would mesh perfectly playing with the fastest player in hockey. More importantly, he’s a perfect fit on the aging curve. Kyrou will be 29 in May, so if the Oilers were to acquire him, they would have him through his prime years, with his UFA year being at age 33.
Acquiring Kyrou would have the added effect of easing Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into more middle-six roles. Not to say Hyman and RNH can’t play top-six anymore, but both players will be 34 by the end of the 2026–27 regular season. Sliding down Hyman and RNH not only would make Edmonton deeper, but hopefully assist in some durability as they continue to age. They would be playing against lower competition and lessening the chance of injury.
With Leon Draisaitl presumably having Vasily Podkolzin on his wing to begin next season, giving McDavid two surefire things in Matthew Savoie and Kyrou would make Edmonton’s top-six a lot fiercer to play against.
What would Kyrou cost?
Of course, no player can be had for free. Firstly, Kyrou has a full no-move clause, so he has the ability to veto any deal presented to him. However, if he was to waive for a deal to the Oilers, the cost would not be cheap.
Now, Kyrou would not be the reported cost the Blues were asking for Robert Thomas at last year’s deadline. That included multiple first rounders and top prospects. Thomas is two years younger and a centre, so he would carry more value. It’s also possible that coming off a down 46-point season, the Oilers could buy low a bit on Kyrou and maybe get him for less than expected. St. Louis would want something of value back though.
It’s very possible Ike Howard could be involved in the deal. St. Louis would trade one proven winger for one with promise. Edmonton has a first round pick in 2028, as well as second rounders in 2026 and 2027 to trade as well.
The main obstacle for a Kyrou-to-Edmonton deal would be salary. If the Oilers do move Nurse, as it’s speculated they will, Edmonton will have much more flexibility. In fact, it might be possible Nurse could be involved in the deal just to make the money work. Maybe the Oilers add an asset to offset Nurse’s extra $1.5M on the books.
Ultimately, I think a Kyrou to Edmonton deal would be a very positive move for the Oilers. He would be an instant upgrade to the Oilers top-six. Kyrou meshes well with their playstyle, and seems to have his best years ahead of him—last season’s struggles notwithstanding. I wouldn’t pay through the nose for him, but if he can be had for a reasonable price, I see no reason why Edmonton shouldn’t try very hard to acquire him.
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