Brayden Schenn may not be a front-line scorer, but he’s most definitely the kind of player general managers believe can move the needle for their team in the post-season.
When Nick Kypreos was writing about Schenn in his latest trade candidates big board, he noted Schenn is the closest thing to the Sam Bennett package a team could hope to acquire this year. (Unless, however, pending-UFA Bennett himself is available, but that’s another story altogether — and one that probably ends with a “no”).
Of course, nothing is easy in pro sports, and there are a lot of layers to consider when it comes to any potential Schenn swap.
Start here; the player holds a full no-trade clause and won’t be packing his bags without having serious sign-off on the situation.
Schenn — who just happens to play his 1,000th NHL contest Thursday night in Washington — is also 33 and has three years to go after this one on a contract that carries an average annual value of $6.5 million. That’s a big ticket for a player entering his mid-30s who had 46 points last year and is basically on pace for the same amount this campaign. Whether on the part of the Blues or a third party — or both — salary retention needs to be part of this deal, and that’s asking a lot when you consider the contract runs through 2027-28.
Also, St. Louis must weigh the optics of trading its captain, a player who won the 2019 Cup with the club and obviously still has a strong voice inside the room. Business is business, but the Blues are in real danger of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season — they’ve won just one playoff round since claiming the Cup in ’19, by the way — and you have to know a portion of the fanbase likely isn’t crazy about waving a white flag.
Still, the stars could align here. Having Schenn’s strength, skill, experience and versatility — he can play centre or wing — on your second or third line is an enticing notion for teams hoping to make multiple playoff marches in the next couple seasons.
Which teams, specifically? We’re happy you asked.
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The Leafs have long been thought to be eyeing a player who can help down the middle. Schenn would likely slot in as a 3C who could jump up to the top six as a winger when the need arises. Obviously, there’s some level of familiarity with the organization given his brother, Luke, played 315 games with the Leafs in two stints with Toronto.
(By the way, the idea of uniting the Schenn brothers on one team is fun, but it’s a level of complication we’re not prepared to address here today).
St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong has shown, however unsatisfied with his club he’s been the past couple seasons, he’s not interested in a full-blown rebuild. Given that, you wonder if the Blues would be asking about the likes of Nick Robertson and close-to-ready prospects like Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan.
Schenn is a Prairie boy who has term left on his deal and those two things have historically gone a long way for a team that knows it has trouble attracting free agents.
Schenn may not be a perfect 2C at this point in his career, but it would give Winnipeg — which has gone after second-line centres at past deadlines in the form of Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes and Sean Monahan — more depth down the middle.
Maybe the Blues would be interested in a package that includes 2022 first-rounder Brad Lambert.
This team needs more jam, plain and simple. And after seeing Leafs squads with the same rap bow out early in the playoffs year after year in Toronto, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe is surely thirsting for a forward or two who’s built for the rigours of the playoffs.
If New Jersey acquired Schenn, you almost wonder if he fits better as a second- or even first-line winger. Put him with Jack Hughes as a guy who can retrieve pucks in the offensive zone and provide a change of pace on the line, and you may have something.
New Jersey has a logjam on defence and several quality blueline prospects in the system. Offence-minded Seamus Casey is up with the Devils from the AHL right now and might be ready for full-time NHL action by next fall.
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We hear all those Blues backers screaming, “Enough with trading our captain to Central Division rivals!”
The reality is, Colorado just hasn’t found a suitable 2C since Nazem Kadri was carrying the Cup around with the Avs in 2022. Last year, Colorado took a chance on Casey Mittelstadt, and it just hasn’t been a perfect fit. Firmly in win-now mode, could the Avs turn to an experienced pro like Schenn to fill the job?
It wouldn’t be a one-for-one, but you could see the 26-year-old Mittelstadt having some appeal for St. Louis, and if Colorado sent him to Missouri, it might not need much — if any — salary retention on Schenn.
This is another situation where Schenn would likely slot in as a top-six winger as opposed to a centre with Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and currently injured William Karlsson on the scene. Vegas has been on the hunt for help on the flank for some time, and Schenn certainly fits their MO as a hard-to-play-against guy with loads of playoff experience.
Recall, there’s a deadline history here as the Knights snagged Ivan Barbashev from St. Louis in 2023, and he went on to be a vital part of the Vegas crew that won the title that spring.
The only issue with Vegas, as always, is the Knights have already blown so much powder in previous moves that it’s hard to know exactly what they could entice the Blues with.
