The price to acquire Jordan Kyrou is clearer now, and it's steep

David Pagnotta floated the idea that if St. Louis moves Kyrou, the centerpiece coming back could be a young defenseman.

That is not a small ask when the Blues are sitting at 19-24-9 and still trying to stabilize their own blue line.

Kyrou is not having a monster year, but he is still a real top-six piece at 11-13-24 in 42 games.

And his contract is massive leverage for both sides, with an $8.125 million cap hit locked in long term.

Blues fans feel the squeeze right now, because the team needs defense help, but moving pure speed and goals is scary when scoring is already thin.

If Armstrong actually shops Kyrou, he can aim higher than "prospect and a pick," because a young top-four defenseman is the rarest currency in the league.

That likely means a defender who is already playing real minutes, not a kid who needs two AHL seasons and a prayer.

It also means the add-on matters.

If the young defenseman is more "second pair now, first pair later," St. Louis can justifiably ask for a first-rounder or a legit young forward on top.

If the defenseman is already close to a true top-pair ceiling, the Blues might even push for another premium asset, because Kyrou's pace changes games.

Either way, the message is clear.

The Kyrou price is not about clearing cap space, it is about replacing a star winger with a cornerstone on the blue line, and those deals do not come cheap.