Former Blues Forward Struggling To Find Ice Time With New Team Despite Production Increasing

In the off-season, the St. Louis Blues made a major decision, moving on from long-time forward Jordan Kyrou by trading him to the Washington Capitals.

The Blues received a haul in return, landing Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin, and the 16th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, which they used to select Maddox Dagenais. 

As for Kyrou, Washington gave him a new opportunity, hoping he could escape some of the scrutiny he faced in St. Louis over the last couple of seasons. His ice time was declining, with an average TOI of 15:44, the lowest of his career since the 2020-21 season. 

In all, Kyrou finished his Blues career with 170 goals and 383 points in 496 games. 

But so far, the pastures aren't much greener. His production is starting to increase, with two goals and five points in eight games, but Kyrou is struggling for ice time, averaging just 13:30, the fourth-fewest among forwards. 

With the depth at the Capitals' disposal, Kyrou was almost never going to see north of 20 minutes a game, but 13:30 is the lowest of his career outside his first two seasons, when he played just 16 and 28 games. 

Kyrou currently skates with Alex Tuch and Dylan Strome and hops over the boards on the second power play unit, but his ice time has been limited. 

Despite that, Kyrou's play hasn't been poor. He ranks fifth on the team in Corsi For percentage and expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. 

Aside from a few poor turnovers, such as his Oct. 14 turnover against the Montreal Canadiens that let the Habs score the opening goal, Kyrou hasn't given coach Spencer Carberry much reason to lose trust. 

The 28-year-old has seen his ice time climb above 15 minutes in the previous two games, but those totals are still below what he averaged with the Blues just last year. 

It's still early in the season, which gives Kyrou plenty of time to sway Carberry's opinion. Still, for now, it looks like another coach is hesitant to give Kyrou too much responsibility. 

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