East Notes: Kyrou, Cody Glass, Rust
Pittsburgh Penguins veteran winger Bryan Rust has been linked to trade discussions involving multiple teams, including the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast.
The Penguins have bolstered their forward pipeline by drafting Benjamin Kindel at No. 11 overall, and GM Kyle Dubas appears to be open to offers for veteran forwards. Even though Rust posted a career-best season in 2024-25, Pittsburgh’s rebuild means he and Rickard Rakell are among the tradeable players that contenders may target for scoring help.
Rust posted 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games last season, largely playing alongside Rakell and Sidney Crosby. Rust also excels as a penalty killer and has a history of elevating his game and scoring timely goals in the playoffs. While he’s 32 and has a history of injury concerns, Rust has three years remaining on his $5.125MM AAV deal that could prove team-friendly for a contending team.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Friedman also discussed that while the New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in retaining pending restricted free agent Cody Glass, the team may not have the financial flexibility to do so. With several pending free agents—including Curtis Lazar, Brian Dumoulin, and Jake Allen—and a significant restricted free agent in Luke Hughes, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald must be strategic in allocating the team’s $14.3 million in cap space (per PuckPedia). Glass spent last season between the Penguins and Devils and posted a combined six goals and 22 points in 65 games. The former sixth overall pick (and first in Golden Knights history), added a career-high 51.2 faceoff win percentage.
- As the Montreal Canadiens continue to explore trade options, they have checked in on St. Louis Blues’ sniper Jordan Kyrou, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. The Habs traded for defensemen Noah Dobson earlier today and will absorb his new eight-year, $76MM contract. However, the team also appears interested in adding to its forward group. The Canadians finished 17th in the league with 243 goals last season, and a player like Kyrou could certainly help them climb those rankings. Playing all 82 games last season, he posted 36 goals and 70 points. It represented his third consecutive 30-goal campaign, and the 26-year-old added three goals in seven playoff games. Kyrou has five years left on his eight-year, $65MM contract, which comes with a cap hit of $8.125MM annually.
West Notes: Trouba, Foligno, Utah, Biakabutuka
Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba will not face any supplemental discipline from his hit on St. Louis forward Jordan Kyrou on Sunday, notes Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). The hit occurred in the first period and no penalty was assessed on the play while Kyrou remained in the game. While it looked as if contact was made with Kyrou’s head, the league determined that the head was not the principal point of contact, and Trouba connected with Kyrou’s arm and shoulder as well.
More from the West:
- The Wild announced (Twitter link) that winger Marcus Foligno was scratched from tonight’s game against Los Angeles due to an upper-body injury. The 33-year-old leads Minnesota in hits with 219 through 67 games this season but his offensive production has been limited once again as he has just 11 goals and 11 assists while logging a little over 14 minutes a night. There’s no word yet on how long Foligno might be out for.
- It appears that Utah Hockey Club has settled on its team name moving forward, according to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd (Twitter link). However, there’s no timeline just yet for when that name will be revealed. The latest fan vote on the name came in late January with Mammoth, Outlaws (replacing Wasatch), and Hockey Club as the three options.
- The Ducks have reassigned defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka to ECHL Tulsa, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate in San Diego. He was promoted to the Gulls last month, getting into 11 games but with Stian Solberg recently being sent to the AHL, Anaheim decided that they were best off getting Biakabutuka more playing time at the lower level. The 23-year-old has 15 points in 21 outings with Tulsa and has one year left on this one on his entry-level contract.
Latest On The Blues’ Deadline Plans
The Blues’ reported openness to dealing away captain Brayden Schenn has made the team one of the more intriguing clubs to watch leading up to the trade deadline on March 7. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta noted this morning that St. Louis was one of the most active teams in trade conversations during the 4 Nations break and has also begun to receive calls on core forwards Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou. Pagnotta adds the former’s reported availability “had a trickle effect” on additional talks, but more teams have expressed firm interest in Schenn than the others as they’ve had more time to marinate.
While Schenn has been seen as a speculative fit for a few teams, namely the Avalanche, there hasn’t been any mention yet of a team demonstrating clear interest. That changes with Pagnotta’s report, as he notes the Golden Knights are one of “several” teams that have contacted St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong about a Schenn trade:
[The Golden Knights] have cap space. Obviously, Shea Theodore is out. We had heard the initial prognosis was six-to-eight weeks, which would take them right towards the end of the season. So, we’ll see kind of where that goes. But (Schenn’s) on their radar and a few other teams, as well.
How high the Blues set the asking price for Schenn remains to be seen. It’s been a seller’s market thus far, but Schenn has a full no-trade clause and carries a $6.5MM cap hit that’s already a tad steep for what he’s provided offensively over the last two seasons. Considering he’s 33 years old and signed through the 2027-28 campaign, there won’t be an oversized list of teams willing to take on that contract.
St. Louis does have all three of its salary retention slots available. Still, there’s an inherent risk of limiting their retention availability for that many seasons if the Blues endure a longer retool or rebuild than expected. If someone steps up for them, they certainly won’t be keeping any money on Buchnevich or Kyrou, both signed through the 2030-31 season.
It stands to reason that Kyrou would land the most significant return of the trio. He’s the youngest at age 26 and leads the team in scoring with 23-21–44 through 56 games. He’s tied his career-best +10 rating, and while his offensive production is his worst per-game basis in four years, he boasts more substantial possession impacts than in the past and has added a bit more physicality to his game with a career-high 31 hits. An $8.125MM cap hit may stand as a small overpay at present but checks in at market value once the salary cap begins its meteoric rise next season, assuming his current 64-pace is where he bottoms out. He’s averaged 33 goals and 73 points per 82 games since his breakout 2021-22 campaign.
Buchnevich put pen to paper on a six-year, $48MM extension one day after becoming eligible to sign one last summer, but his production has continued to slide after back-to-back seasons above a point per game in 2021-22 and 2022-23. His totals dropped to 63 points in 80 games last year, and he’s only pace for 52 points over an 82-game schedule in 2024-25 with 11-23–34 through 54 appearances. His minus-two rating is his worst since arriving in St. Louis four years ago, as is his 11.1% shooting rate. With so much term attached at an $8MM annual commitment, a Buchnevich trade will likely need to wait until the summer at the earliest for teams to gauge whether the chance at a resurgence is worth the risk of him plateauing at 50-65 points per season.
Snapshots: Buchnevich, Cajkovic, Leafs, Durandeau
Just a few months after shopping him around the Trade Deadline, the St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms on a long-term extension with top winger Pavel Buchnevich a year early. But general manager Doug Armstrong acknowledged that the team had to cave to Buchnevich’s term, telling Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post, “We talked [with Buchnevich’s side] again on the first, did the deal on the second. I’ll be honest with you, I budged.” Armstrong added that giving ground on term is the cost of doing business in today’s market.
For their effort in the negotiations, the Blues have now locked up Buchnevich at a manageable $8MM cap hit, set to begin in 2025-26 after his current deal expires. The 29-year-old winger recorded 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games this season, the lowest scoring of his tenure with the Blues. He had a career year in his first year with the club in 2021-22, recording 30 goals and 76 points in just 73 games. Buchnevich scored at a similar pace last year, though an ankle injury would limit him to just 63 games and 67 points.
Buchnevich has emerged as a premier winger in St. Louis, and a great addition to the high-tempo duo of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. He’ll look to really get comfortable in that role next year, after agreeing to what will be the longest contract of his career.
Other notes from around the league:
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Maxim Cajkovic has signed with HC Verva Litvinov of Slovakia’s Tipsport Extraliga. The Penguins acquired Cajkovic from the Minnesota Wild in January, sending Will Butcher the other way. The deal proved moot for both teams, as Butcher currently awaits a new deal on the free-agent market. Cajkovic, 23, is returning to Europe after spending all year in the minor leagues, tallying five points in 10 AHL games and four points in 13 ECHL games. He’ll be playing in his third European pro league on this deal, after spending time in Sweden’s SHL and Austria’s ICE Hockey League during his U21 career.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced a new ECHL affiliation, signing an agreement with the Cincinnati Cyclones set to begin next season. The duration of the deal hasn’t been revealed. Toronto turns to the Cyclones after their previous affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers, ceased operations before the end of the 2023-24 season. The Cyclones are a familiar face in the ECHL, appearing in 23 of the league’s last 30 seasons. They’ve won two Kelly Cup Championships in that span – in 2008 and 2010. Cincinnati will look to return to those heights now in partnership with the Leafs: the fifth NHL club they’ve been affiliated with.
- Montreal Canadiens winger Arnaud Durandeau has signed with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Durandeau went on a quick tour around the minor leagues this season, playing for three different AHL clubs this season after a mid-year loan was followed with Montreal acquiring Durandeau from the New York Islanders in exchange for Tyce Thompson. Durandeau scored 24 points across 48 AHL games this season, bringing his career totals to 132 points in 215 games. He also appeared in four NHL games during the 2022-23 season, though he failed to score.
Blues Injury Notes: Kyrou, Faulk, Kapanen, Ratcliffe, Burns
Speaking with head coach Craig Berube of the St. Louis Blues today, Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that two of the most important players on the Blues roster, defenseman Justin Faulk, and forward Jordan Kyrou are both “fine” and should be back with the team relatively soon.
Both players are dealing with lower-body injuries, likely sustained in their most recent preseason matchups. In Faulk, he played in the team’s winning effort against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, playing a little over 16 minutes, failing to land on the scoresheet. Kyrou, on the other hand, has not played since the team’s split-squad matchup against the Arizona Coyotes on September 23rd, where he would play in almost 18 minutes of that game, scoring one goal and one assist.
It is unknown whether or not either player will play in the team’s upcoming matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night, or this weekend’s game against the Dallas Stars. Nevertheless, it appears that both are dealing with minor injuries and should be available for either of those two games.
Other Blues injury notes:
- In the same report, DeFranks mentions that Blues’ forward Kasperi Kapanen is dealing with an upper-body injury, and should be able to return to practice tomorrow. Much like the status of Faulk and Kyrou, it is unknown whether or not Kapanen will play in the organization’s upcoming games this week, but should be ready to factor in if necessary. Kapanen has only played one game this preseason, playing just over 18 minutes of the team’s win against Arizona, registering zero points.
- For some longer-term injury notes, St. Louis forward Isaac Ratcliffe is confirmed out at the moment, with no timetable for his return. Factoring into Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets, Ratcliffe tallied a goal in 13 minutes of ice time, earning the third star of the game. On the bubble of the Blues’ roster heading into this season, for his own personal benefit, Ratcliffe can not afford to miss too much time if he hopes to crack the regular season lineup.
- St. Louis’ third-round selection of the 2023 NHL Draft, Quinton Burns, has been unable to return to practice following a lower-body injury sustained in the game against the Coyotes. In all likelihood, even without the injury, the young defenseman would have been returned to his OHL team, the Kingston Frontenacs, for the 2023-24 season. In his game against Arizona, Burns accrued 16 minutes of ice time, earning 2 PIMs and one registered hit.
Robert Thomas Back Skating With St. Louis Blues
Some good news for the St. Louis Blues as they enter the final week of the regular season. Lou Korac of NHL.com is reporting that Robert Thomas is back skating today at the team’s optional skate. Thomas has missed the last five games with an upper body injury but took a step towards returning as he did some drills with Blues assistant coach Steve Ott this morning.
Thomas had started to heat up just before his injury with three points in the two games prior to getting hurt. Before that he had been on a cold streak going pointless in four straight. Thomas has been streaky this year putting up points in bunches and then going cold for a handful of games. Despite this, he still has 19 goals and 63 points in 70 games this year.
The Blues have just three games left in the regular season, so it is not yet known whether Thomas will return before the Blues play game 82. St. Louis is already officially eliminated from the playoffs so there is little rush to bringing him back too soon, especially with his eight year $65MM dollar extension kicking in next season.
St. Louis will be an interesting team to watch this offseason. The team has been visibly frustrated with the play of goaltender Jordan Binnington, their defense is old and could use an injection of youth, and they’ve got a solid group of forwards led by Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. They aren’t that far removed from their 2019 Stanley Cup and will likely be looking to push for the playoffs again in 2023-24.
Injury Notes: Grant, Kyrou, Chytil
The Anaheim Ducks were able to get a point out of today’s shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, but didn’t come out unharmed it seems. Veteran forward Derek Grant suffered a lower-body injury during the game and was ruled out for the remainder, said Anaheim. Grant, 32, is currently in his third stint as a member of the Ducks, but has seemed to really settle in, now in his third straight season without being moved.
The forward hit a career-high 29 points last season and has three points in 14 games to begin this season. While he might not be the impact scorer for Anaheim like Trevor Zegras is, his steady two-way game and veteran presence is one the Ducks surely don’t want to be without for too long. The Ducks were already without Grant for 10 games this season, missing most of the month of November.
- Per a team announcement, St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou will be out of the lineup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a non-COVID related illness. Of course, this isn’t good news per se, however the reasoning being illness over a serious injury is a silver lining, as St. Louis cannot afford to be without their star forward for very long. Taking his place in the lineup is forward William Bitten, who was recalled from the AHL earlier today. Also in the lineup is forward Brayden Schenn, who has been battling a lingering injury. Interestingly, while this will be game number one in the NHL for Bitten, it also marks game number 800 in the league for Schenn.
- According to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, New York Rangers center Filip Chytil is not taking warmups this evening ahead of the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, as he’s dealing with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear how Chytil suffered the injury, but fortunately for the Rangers, it appears he’s considered just day-to-day. Chytil currently has 11 points in 19 games so far this season, one that’s quickly becoming a breakout affair for the 23-year-old.
Jordan Kyrou Signs Eight-Year Extension
A few days ago it was reported that Jordan Kyrou and the St. Louis Blues were working on an extension. It appears those talks were positive, as Kyrou has signed an eight-year, $65MM extension. The deal is the same as the one that Robert Thomas signed earlier this summer, carrying an $8.125MM cap hit through the 2030-31 season.
Kyrou released a statement on the deal:
I’m so thankful to the Blues organization for putting their trust in me and giving me the opportunity to wear the Blue Note for the forseeable future. Being able to call St. Louis my home is amazing. I can’t say enough about how much I love the city. And to the best fans in the League, I can’t thank you enough for always showing me love and support.
Kyrou, 24, had a brilliant season in 2021-22, registering 27 goals and 75 points in 74 regular season games and then another seven goals in 12 playoff matches. The young winger attacks with incredible speed and finesse, registering those points despite averaging fewer than 17 minutes a night.
In fact, among players with at least 40 games played this season, Kyrou ranked 15th in the entire league in 5v5 points/60 at 2.93. That put him just behind Jonathan Huberdeau and Thomas, the latter actually tied with him. His 1.29 5v5 goals/60 tied him with Johnny Gaudreau, and Jake Guentzel for 21st in the league, showing just how dominant he was in his opportunity.
An extension like this suggests that the opportunity for Kyrou will only grow in the years to come, with more minutes being funneled to him and Thomas as the new core pieces of the offense. Notably, both Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly, veteran talents who have led the Blues for years, are scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer. While these massive long-term deals certainly don’t rule out extensions for the older forwards, the Blues are obviously focused on their emerging stars and wanted to get them locked up as soon as possible.
Remember, the salary cap ceiling will start raising again in the years to come, meaning long-term contracts signed now may look like bargains down the road. With this extension not kicking in until Kyrou is 25, the Blues have essentially bought his entire prime.
The two young players will continue to be linked not only because of their team but also their financials so far. Kyrou and Thomas are both in the final year of identical two-year, $5.6MM bridge deals they signed in 2021, meaning their contract status will basically be identical for the better portion of their careers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
St. Louis Blues, Jordan Kyrou Working On Extension
Earlier this offseason, the St. Louis Blues locked up part of their future when they signed Robert Thomas to an eight-year, $65MM contract. The 23-year-old center exploded with 77 points in 2021-22, establishing himself as one of the best young pivots in the league. His teammate, Jordan Kyrou, may soon be getting the same treatment. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that the Blues have begun extension talks with Kyrou.
Now 24, Kyrou had his own breakout season in 2021-22, reaching 27 goals and 75 points in 74 games. He was a horse in the playoffs as well, adding seven goals in 12 games. Last year at this time, the Blues decided to go with identical two-year bridge deals for Thomas and Kyrou, contracts that carry an average annual value of just $2.8MM. It was an incredible bargain in year one and likely will give even more surplus value in 2022-23.
It will be interesting to see if another matching deal is coming, given the positional differences. While Thomas is a full-time center, Kyrou is a pure winger, something that isn’t usually quite as lucrative when it comes to long-term deals.
Importantly, the Blues have some other contracts to think about in any negotiation. Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko are both set to become unrestricted free agents next summer. General manager Doug Armstrong has been more than willing in the past to move out key pieces early if they have indicated they aren’t going to re-sign, but losing O’Reilly in particular right now seems like it would set the team back significantly. If he’s to be extended, the 31-year-old will likely be looking for a deal at least as lucrative as the $7.5MM cap hit he currently carries.
For now, if contract talks with Kyrou are going “very good,” as Strickland says, the futures of O’Reilly and Tarasenko might have to wait.
Morning Notes: Skills Results, Bruins, KHL
The NHL held their Skills Competition as part of their All-Star festivities last night. The winners for each event are as follows:
Fastest Skater: Jordan Kyrou (Blues)
Save Streak: Jack Campbell (Maple Leafs) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning)
Fountain Faceoff: Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)
Hardest Shot: Victor Hedman (Lightning)
Breakaway Challenge: Alex Pietrangelo (Golden Knights)
21 in ’22: Joe Pavelski (Stars)
Accuracy Shooting: Sebastian Aho (Hurricanes)
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- There are teams with some interest in Bruins youngsters Jack Studnicka and Urho Vaakanainen but there are questions as to what the upside for both players are, suggests Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (subscription link). Studnicka started the season in Boston’s top six but has spent most of the season in the minors while Vaakanainen’s limited experience makes it hard to project whether or not he could become a second-pairing rearguard. Both players are potential trade options if the Bruins try to make a splash at the trade deadline but those questions of upside will make their value considerably varied around the league which could complicate things in a trade.
- The KHL announced that they have canceled the remainder of their regular season. The season was paused in mid-January due to several COVID outbreaks and while teams have less than 10 games remaining, the Olympic break would make it too difficult to play the rest of the season without compressing the playoff schedule too much. Instead, they’ll elect to start their postseason on March 1st with more of a normal schedule while the seedings will be based on win percentage. The IIHF World Hockey Championships are slated to begin in mid-May so this isn’t a situation where the KHL could have played later in the spring; they want to be finished by then so their players can participate in this tournament.