Jordan Kyrou arrived in Washington with game-breaking speed, but four games in, the Capitals are still waiting for it to show up on the scoresheet.
The former Blue has one assist, on the power play, and a -5 rating through four games. He's still hunting his first goal as a Capital.
That isn't the start anyone pictured after the trade with St. Louis. Kyrou carries an $8,125,000 cap hit, and that number comes with expectations.
The speed is real, though. It's the tool that made him a 36-goal, 70-point player in 2024-25, and defencemen still have to respect it every shift.
His last season in St. Louis was quieter, with 18 goals and 46 points in 72 games. Washington is betting a change of scenery brings the old version back.
The good news: the Capitals are winning anyway. They're 3-1-0 after a 3-1 win over the Rangers on Friday.
Spencer Carbery waits on the Kyrou trade to pay off
Spencer Carbery has veterans around him who can help. Alex Ovechkin and Alex Tuch give Kyrou finishers and big bodies to play off of.
Tuch arrived this summer too and scored his first Capitals goal in the opener. The new winger's first one can't be far behind if he keeps getting looks.
The trade still needs time. One assist in four games is a slow start, not a verdict, for a player with 379 points in 492 NHL games.
Carbery should give him more ice with his best players. A speed winger is only as dangerous as the linemates feeding him the puck.
Right now he's like a new sports car stuck in city traffic. The engine is there, the open road just hasn't shown up yet.
Washington hosts Seattle on Sunday.
The Capitals didn't trade for a slow start. Once Kyrou finds the net, the St. Louis deal will start to look a lot better, but for now it's an investment still waiting on returns.
Will Jordan Kyrou be a success in Washington?
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