The Washington Capitals acquired right winger Jordan Kyrou in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, keeping the player movement around the NHL spinning ahead of the draft later this week and with free agency on the horizon.
Washington sent veteran forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin and the 16th pick to St. Louis for the 28-year-old Kyrou, who is under contract for the next five seasons at a salary cap hit of $8.125 million.
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick foreshadowed making a move like this after doing more selling than buying at the deadline in March. Kyrou gives the team another player in his prime to join a core around Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard and Logan Thompson — whether or not Alex Ovechkin returns.
"We believe he is an ideal fit for our team both now and for the long term," Patrick said. “Jordan is an exceptionally talented and dynamic offensive player who will make an immediate impact on our club. His skill, creativity and ability to generate offense at an elite level will be a tremendous addition to our group.”
Kyrou had 18 goals and 28 assists in 72 games with St. Louis last season, producing below expectations for someone signed to be a key contributor. He is a three-time 30-goal scorer, reaching that mark consecutively from 2022-23 through 2024-25.
McMichael, 25, had 46 points in 78 games with the Capitals last season.
Gastrin, 19, was the 37th pick in the draft last year. Washington still has the 18th pick Friday night as part of the deal that sent longtime defenseman John Carlson to Anaheim in March.
In other trades Tuesday:
— The San Jose Sharks dealt William Eklund and forward prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda to the Ottawa Senators for the ninth pick. The Sharks now have the Nos. 2, 9 and 27 picks in the first round of the draft Friday night. Ottawa got the No. 9 pick over the weekend as part of the return for sending Brady Tkachuk to Florida in the offseason's biggest blockbuster so far. The Senators also received a pair of picks the Panthers got from Seattle for Mackie Samoskevich, along with a 2029 first-rounder.
— The New Jersey Devils sent Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
FILE - New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) controls the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, March 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
FILE - San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (72) during an NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu,File)
FILE - St. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou (25) shoots during an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong,File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The saga over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool took a turn as President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested over recent damage. The president’s troubled $14-million-plus rehabilitation project has become a visceral flashpoint over law enforcement, aesthetics and environmental concerns ahead of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.
In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a “350-foot gash” in the paint as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix the botched renovation before the nation's 250th anniversary celebration next week. He has also said, including again on Tuesday, that the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.
Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool ahead of the anniversary celebrations, draining its water and having the bottom painted a color he dubbed “American flag blue.” But since the site was restored, its water has been plagued with algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.
Trump, without evidence, has repeatedly blamed the peeling paint on vandalism.
“It was purposefully and criminally done, and somebody had to work very hard, probably in the dark of night, to create such a condition,” Trump wrote Tuesday, adding that another seven people were cited for allegedly damaging the pool.
The U.S. Park Police and the Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the arrests or Trump's claim of vandalism.
The Associated Press verified that one man was arrested after touching the already-peeling paint. He said he wanted to examine the new coating, touching a still-attached chunk briefly then letting go shortly after a park worker told him to.
National Guard members and Park Police have been patrolling the deck around the pool after Trump insisted over the weekend that vandals were responsible for damage to the liner, without providing evidence.
Crews were seen adding fencing near the area late Tuesday. An Interior spokeswoman said the Reflecting Pool “was always set to be fenced off ahead of the 4th of July," noting that one of the launch pads for the fireworks is near the pool.
“With increase in vandalism by leftist activists, the fencing is going up earlier than originally planned to ensure no more damage is done to this historic site," spokeswoman Katie Martin said in an email. She did not provide evidence of her claim about the political leanings of possible vandals.
Trump said Tuesday that the Interior Department will release images of alleged vandalism at the pool. Pressed by reporters after Air Force One landed in Pennsylvania for a visit to a trucking company, Trump said Interior is “going to share” photos and videos of the alleged vandalism, which remains unverified.
The president had said on Monday that the images existed and the federal government would provide them. No photos were made public as of Tuesday afternoon.
The arrests highlighted what’s expected to be tightened security in the capital ahead of and during the 250th anniversary celebrations, which are set to draw large crowds to the National Mall and other tourist sites.
Trump also said Tuesday that “some of the water” will be drained from the pool “either immediately before or after the Fourth of July, to do the permanent repair.”
It was unclear from his post what the scale, scope or cost of the permanent repair would be.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a contractor on the pool project, said it has identified some areas in the Reflecting Pool that require repairs. “These areas are a very small part of the massive 7-acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner,” the company said in a statement. The company said it expected to make the repairs to the pool once it is drained, as part of the warranty.
Adding to the controversy swirling around the pool, an environmental group called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate after a Mallard duckling carcass was photographed floating in the algae-filled pool, and two other ducks were found dead nearby. The Center for Biological Diversity said Tuesday that the Wildlife Service must enforce the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects migratory birds.
“Wasting taxpayer money turning the reflecting pool into a giant duck death trap just in time for America’s 250th birthday party is as Trump as it gets. Cruel, stupid and selfish,” said Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Arizona-based group.
City Wildlife, a Washington-based rescue and rehabilitation non-profit that also conducts necropsies on birds found in the city, said they could not comment on the cause of the death of the duckling because its carcass “wasn't recovered for examination.”
Trump pitched the original improvements as intended to clean, beautify and reinforce an iconic site that he said had become dilapidated and dirty because of previous presidents’ neglect. Algae has plagued the pool for a century, and Trump insisted that the newly installed “American flag blue” coating, which he selected himself, would turn the pool into a gleaming expanse along the National Mall.
Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool’s coating. A piece of liner, about 4 square feet, was observed on Friday, partially floating in the pool. The Associated Press saw additional pieces in the water on Monday.
Workers were seen in recent days pouring hydrogen peroxide into the pool in an attempt to kill the algae. Hydrogen peroxide can act as a paint remover.
Experts say the dark lining can add to algae growth by absorbing more sunlight than lighter surfaces. That raises the surrounding water temperature, allowing algae to thrive.
Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this story.
A duck swims in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Friday, June 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Visitors look at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Sunday, June 21, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick
Separation is seen in the blue coating on the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, June 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Visitors watch as National Park Service employees use vacuums to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A National Park Service employee works to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Sunday, June 21, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick
A piece of the blue coating floats among algae at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Sunday, June 21, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick
National Guard members look at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, June 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
