In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with Jordan Kyrou and the St. Louis Blues as both sides prepare for a potential deal. Next, we look at some more movement from the Calgary Flames, who have been receiving interest in MacKenzie Weegar. Finally, there is some belief that there are some trades ready to happen after the roster freeze lifts.
Kyrou Preparing for Deadline Deal
Over the past few weeks, there has been some talk about Kyrou and his future with the Blues. Stemming back a couple of seasons, Kyrou’s name pops up fairly regularly, but as we approach the 2026 Trade Deadline, there may be some more motion behind these talks.
David Pagnotta reported that while there is a full no-trade clause, Kyrou would be willing to waive for the right situation, and then speculated that Kyrou is just waiting for a trade to happen, and whether that will happen before Mar. 6, or if it spills into the offseason.
Kyrou has five more seasons under contract with a cap hit of $8.13 million. While that isn’t the easiest number to move, Kyrou is a talented player, and with the rising salary cap, it would be a lot easier to add that salary.
The Montreal Canadiens and Seattle Kraken have both tried to get Kyrou, and the New York Islanders were suggested by Mike Rupp.
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For the Canadiens, there would have to be some internal discussion about how they feel about their top-six. Of course, they would love another high-end centre, but Kyrou has been playing on the wing quite a bit, and they may move away from that as wingers are not a need right now.
The Kraken swung big for Artemi Panarin, and while they aren’t quite the same level of player, Kyrou would fill in the hole in their top-six very well.
For the Islanders, Rupp suggested the Islanders may be willing to move prospect Cole Eiserman in an attempt to add a scoring forward this season, and that could be a perfect match for trade partners.
Flames Getting Interest in Weegar
The Flames are in a position to sell. They have a lot of quality pieces, but not enough to get them to the playoffs or serve as a true contender.
Rasmus Andersson was already dealt this season, and with names like Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, and Zach Whitecloud, they are far from done with working the phone. One other name that has been brought up a few times is Weegar.
With four more seasons at a very reasonable $6.25 million, Weegar is a hot commodity because of the term, price, but also being a great, reliable two-way right-shot defenseman.
The Ottawa Senators have been linked many times, with the hometown connection and their desire to upgrade defense, it makes a lot of sense. The Senators aren’t stocked full of assets, but they do have enough to get a deal done.
The Detroit Red Wings have had some interest too, according to Bruce Garrioch (from Ottawa Senators trying to find ‘right fit’ for blueline with NHL trade deadline approaching, Ottawa Sun, Feb. 18, 2026).
The Red Wings tried on Andersson, but were unwilling to make the deal without an extension. The term isn’t an issue with Weegar, and the two sides likely already had some talk and know what the Flames like on the Red Wings, but the ask could be higher because of the contract.
Trades Ready to Go After Roster Freeze Ends
Darren Dreger reported on First Up that there may be some deals agreed upon that will process as the roster freeze lifts at 12:00 p.m. on Feb. 22. While he stated he isn’t certain, it would make a lot of sense. Just because the NHL wouldn’t process deals over the Olympic break doesn’t mean teams weren’t doing their work over that time.
With just two weeks until the trade deadline, some deals, especially the bigger ones, take more legwork. There were certainly talks that didn’t materialize before the roster freeze, and those deals could likely pick up again.
Dreger didn’t indicate what players could be involved in the frenzy after the freeze lifts, but as mentioned earlier, there are lots of talks around the Flames with Coleman, Kadri, and Whitecloud, while the Vancouver Canucks are working on an Evander Kane deal, which could be closing in.
