Caps Make Long-Awaited Top 6 Add In Kyrou

After nearly a year of proclaiming the Washington Capitals would acquire a top-six forward to bolster the team’s offense, the team finally got one on Tuesday, adding winger Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Connor McMichael, 2025 second-rounder Milton Gastrin, and the team’s own pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

While the 28-year-old was a rumored target of the Capitals at last season’s trade deadline, the two teams couldn’t work out a deal then, the Ontario native signed off on a trade to give him a change of scenery in Washington as the league heads into the draft.

The right winger had four consecutive seasons of 25 goals or more between 2021 and 2025, including three consecutive 30-goal seasons, before a year in which he failed to crack the 20-goal mark as the Blues had a disappointing campaign overall. He had been subject to trade rumors for months, and waived his no-trade clause to head east to the nation’s capital and get a change of scenery.

“We are thrilled to acquire Jordan and welcome him to our team,” Capitals General Manager Chris Patrick said in a statement. “Jordan is an exceptionally talented and dynamic offensive player who will make an immediate impact on our club. His skill, creativity, and ability to generate offense at an elite level will be a tremendous addition to our group.

“At just 28 years old and under contract for the next five seasons, Jordan is entering the prime years of his career. We believe he is an ideal fit for our team both now and for the long term.”

Kyrou has five more seasons left of an eight-year deal that carries a cap hit of $8.125 million, which will become more palatable as the cap rises to nearly $120 million, or just under 7 percent of the total cap in just a few seasons.

With the rising cap also creating a higher asking price for forwards in the trade market as well as the UFA market, it’s likely the no-trade clause helped keep the return to the Blues down from other asking prices around the league, as Washington did not part with both of its first-round draft picks in 2026, as well as retained both Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall, two of the team’s top forward prospects who certainly would be part of a more expensive trade demand.

Certainly, Kyrou offers the speed and scoring touch Washington has wanted to inject into their lineup, and he also led the Blues in power-play goals last season, an area the Caps sorely need help with after finishing 25th in the league last season.

McMichael had steadily improved over the last few seasons in Washington, as while he seemingly was on his way out before his solid performance in the Hershey Bears’ Calder Cup run in 2023, his best season in the NHL came two years ago when he netted 26 goals in the regular season and added 4 more in the postseason. While his totals weren’t quite the same last year, overall, the team wasn’t as productive as the team struggled with a thin lineup up front and injuries.

McMichael was one of two restricted free agents the Capitals had heading into this offseason, as while he earned $2.1 million on his two-year deal that expires next week, he likely will get a decent raise with 40 goals in the past two seasons under the expiring deal.

Gastrin was Washington’s second-round pick in 2025, who spent the last two seasons with MoDo in Sweden, and the 19-year-old appeared in one playoff game for the Bears this past spring.

Despite trading their own pick to the Blues, Washington still holds the Anaheim Ducks’ 18th overall pick, which was acquired in the John Carlson trade. While Washington could opt to trade that pick for further improvements, they currently only hold three other picks in this year’s draft: the 112th, 144th, and 208th overall selections.

The Capitals still have nearly $26 million in cap space per Cap Tracker, with five roster spots needed to be filled. The biggest question remains whether Alex Ovechkin will return for another season, but it seems more likely with the Kyrou acquisition boosting the team’s offensive prowess.

Washington also seems to need a depth defenseman with Rasmus Sandin out long-term with an injury, as well as perhaps a depth forward to bolster the roster, which would be upgraded to another Top 6 should Ovechkin decide not to return next season.

The Caps also likely will have to decide on a backup goaltender for next year, as while Charlie Lindgren is signed for two more years at a $3 million cap hit, Clay Stevenson is unlikely to clear waivers this fall and has one more year at just $800,000 and likely will get a shot at the NHL, either in Washington or elsewhere. He will certainly earn a raise after this season, but the Capitals could opt to move towards a younger and less expensive backup to Logan Thompson, who clearly has taken the No. 1 role.

Kyrou does help answer some questions about the Capitals’ future, as while the price for a Top 6 has steadily risen, Patrick finally was able to complete a trade he liked for a player under term and not at too steep a cost in terms of assets. And, with a move towards improvement after March’s sell-off, it also sends a signal to Washington’s captain that the team will look to make a move back towards the playoffs next season, with some cap room to improve further.