St. Louis Blues: Ten Reasons Why Brayden Schenn Deal Immediately Impacts Team
A rapid NHL offseason picked up even more steam when the St. Louis Blues acquired Brayden Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
The St. Louis Blues were quite active in the 2017 NHL Draft, to the surprise of many. The Blues acquired Brayden Schenn, the fifth overall draft pick in 2009, for Jori Lehtera, a first-round draft pick the Blues had acquired from Washington (27th overall), and a conditional 2018 draft pick.
Within an hour after the Blues selected center Robert Thomas with the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft, general manager Doug Armstrong rolled the dice on an unexpected move. But, the swap is one that could benefit both of the 1967 expansion franchises moving forward.
As for St. Louis, the trade creates new opportunities heading into the 2017-18 season. In recognition of a number Schenn wore with the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers, there are ten reasons the trade impacts the Blues.
1. Schenn offers a two-way approach that several Blues forwards could not balance near the end of playoffs. He scored at least 20 goals in three of his last four seasons, but also played physical by averaging 193 hits per season in that same span.
2. Only missing six regular season games over the past five seasons, Schenn fulfills an important role occupied by David Perron to some extent last year. Perron played in every regular season and playoff game last year, but fell victim to selection from the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft.
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3. Schenn found himself in a three-way tie for the most power play goals last season (17) with Alex Ovechkin and Nikita Kucherov. A new presence could help a Blues team that ranked dead last among qualifiers in power play percentage (6.7 percent) in the playoffs.
4. With positional flexibility between left wing and center, Schenn could fit with just about any combination of linemates. However, he could be more valuable as a second-line center for a Blues team that lacked pure depth without David Backes last season.
5. Schenn scored 12 points in 13 games against Central division opponents last year, including a hat trick against the Dallas Stars on December 10, 2016. If he can keep a similar pace, this will be very crucial to a team that only won half of its series against division foes last year.
6. Turning 26 in August, Schenn has played in 433 regular season games and has made playoffs three times. With 9 points in 11 games, his first taste of playoffs from 2011-12, the experience only adds to a Blues team with six straight playoff bids.
7. Schenn spent parts of four seasons with his older brother, Luke Schenn, in Philadelphia from 2012 to 2016. Luke was formerly the 5th overall draft pick in the 2008 draft, one selection after current captain Alex Pietrangelo. He spent last year with Los Angeles and Arizona, set to make $1.5 million this year with the Coyotes. But perhaps the family connection could influence St. Louis to acquire his brother over time.
8. With the certainty of losing one draft pick in the trade, and the possibility of another, the Blues used the trade as an opportunity to still pursue an additional first round selection. This resulted in trading Ryan Reaves to the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins for the 31st overall pick, used to select forward Klim Kostin.
9. The trade means the Blues are no longer accountable for Jori Lehtera’s contract, $4.7 million annually that Philadelphia is now paying through 2019. Schenn’s contract does have a slightly higher cap hit at $5.125 million and three more years. But, in perspective, Schenn recorded 55 points in 79 games last season, just 15 points fewer than Lehtera posted over 218 games and 3 seasons with the Blues.
10. The move represents a win-now effort from the St. Louis Blues, who have had some retooling within the last year trading veteran pieces like Brian Elliott and Kevin Shattenkirk in past seasons.
Next: St. Louis Blues: Doug Armstrong From Zero to Hero
It may also be noteworthy to add that Schenn could wear 10 as his jersey number once again if Scottie Upshall, who wore it the previous two seasons, does not return upon free agency, which begins Saturday, July 1.