Let's be realistic...for once. No big name UFAs EVER sign here, and it will be no different next summer. Sam Bennett, Miko Rantanen, Mitch Marner and company, may wink at us from afar, but it will never even get to the point of serious flirtation (let alone a real date).
And we all know that we have been just starving for a depth at Center, since the mid 90s (when we had Turgeon, Koivu and Damphousse- only to rid of ourselves of two of them barely a couple of seasons later)!
Besides, Bennett, as tenacious and dominant as he has been in the past playoff seasons, will be turning 29 this summer, he has also been banged up quite a bit, and besides, we know a bidding war on July 1st will likely lead to a mega contract (somewhere in the vicinity of 7+M , potentially 6-7 years..or potentially more).
And let's be honest, we have no legitimate 2C in the system and least not in the immediate future (Hage looks to be more of a scoring winger at this stage- albeit it may be too early to project what he may pan out as in 2-3 seasons). Kapanen, Beck, Evans (resigned today) are at best suited for third line duty on a competitive team.
And if we look around at the names being tossed out there, in the hamster rumor mill, I see more "science projects" a la Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook than anything else (say what is this guy's identity- are we even sure he would be a third liner on a Stanley Cup contender...to be honest, more and more, he looks to me like a "poor man's" Jan Bullis- impressive speed for sure, but lesser defensive abilities, and very limited offense/offensive creativity or vision). Do we really want Laine and Demidov being centered by a poor playmaker Newhook next season? Owen Beck? Filip Mesar? Please. Un peu de sérieux..
Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt, Brayden Schenn are other names being bandied around. For GOD'S SAKE folks can we stop tossing darts blindly at the board in the hopes one eventually lands in the middle (sorry Kent, your track record is starting to look a little, shall we say, questionable at this stage...did I mention resigning Sean Monahan at 5M$ would look like a brilliant bet today)? I think it's time to thing bigger...
And the one name that keeps coming up in my mind is that of Jordan Kyrou.
I get it, you will have to pay. Cash. It takes two to tango you say...so why would St-Lou move a talented 27 year old center?
Hear me out.
The Blues are currently stuck in no-mans land. They have an aging team, especially on D, and some nice prospects up front, but outside of Robert Thomas, no given proven entity and little depth. In essence, a rebuild is likely to be in the cards sooner than later.
And the Canadiens boast a cupboard full of young talented D, as well as several upcoming draft picks.
Now imagine a 6'2 right-handed center like Kyrou slotted in behind Nick Suzy Q, a lock for 65-70 points (at minimum), an elite skater (our forward group does lack speed, especially down the middle), good hands and a deft playmaker. To boot, he is signed for the foreseeable future, and we have, and will continue to have, cap space in the coming years (as contracts like Anderson, Gally and even Price come off the books).
So what could it cost? Again, it has to be a fit for both teams, and an offer has to meet St.Louis' needs (nuh duh). Could a package around Logan Mailloux, our first in 2025, and Jakub Dobes be enough? Add in another pick or prospect not named Hage or Demidov, and you would think Doug Armstrong would seriously consider such an offer.
Either way, it's time to ice a very competitive team next year. Enough with the pussyfooting. Let's finally take a bold step forward, so we may be a serious contender in a year or two and join the final dance in the Spring.
C'mon Kent, pick up that phone and make the call
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