The St. Louis Blues acquired Brayden Schenn three years ago, and now he has helped lead the team to their first-ever Stanley Cup Championship.
Brayden Schenn, a former fifth overall pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, has been nothing short of, pardon my pun, Schennsational for the St. Louis Blues during his first two seasons wearing the note.
Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017 for Jori Lehtera and two picks, Schenn has virtually guaranteed that the final decision can be made on who won the trade between the two teams.
If there is still some holdout that the Flyers still have a chance to claim themselves champions of the Schenn deal, it is unwarranted. I’m a firm believer that anytime a player is acquired via trade, then wins a championship, it should be considered a win for the winning organization.
More from Editorials
- St. Louis Blues Need Kasperi Kapanen To Be On Best Behavior
- Hayes’ Debut And Other Bold Predictions for the St. Louis Blues
- St. Louis Blues Captaincy Is Suddenly A Huge Problem For 2023-24
- St. Louis Blues National Games Cause More Problems Than They’re Worth
- St. Louis Blues Brayden Schenn Has To Be An Impact Player In 2023-24
With Philadelphia, Schenn was an adequate second-line center on a middling team. In six years with the Flyers, Schenn saw his team reach the postseason three times and only advanced out of the first round once.
Schenn’s calling card was his ability to score on the powerplay. This has been the one element of Schenn’s game that has not entirely carried over from playing with the Flyers.
In six years with Philadelphia, Schenn paced his team with 45 power play goals. In two seasons with St. Louis, Schenn has tallied 12 goals with a man advantage. This could be a result of a number of things.
The St. Louis power play has been notorious for going long stretches without any kind of success. It could also be an indication of his lack of playing time on the powerplay. In recent seasons the Blues have brought in the likes of Tyler Bozak and Ryan O’Reilly to center the power play units, and those two players are considerably better in the faceoff circle.
Virtually everything else about Schenn’s game has been nothing but positive. In his two seasons with the Blues, he has been called on to center not only their top line but one of the top lines in the entire game.
When playing with Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko, the Blues’ top line has been one of the most lethal combinations in all of hockey and can only be matched by a handful of teams.
Durability has also been a calling card of Schenn’s. The 27-year-old has missed just 10 games throughout his tenure in St. Louis. Not only has Schenn stayed on the ice, but he has also produced.
Schenn has played 154 regular season games for the St. Louis Blues, and he is very close to becoming a point-per-game performer. The Saskatoon native has 45 goals and 79 assists, good for 124 points for his Blues career.
Schenn will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season, and with captain Alex Pietrangelo in the same situation, it is unlikely the Blues will be able to keep both. However, Schenn’s influence with the Blues will be remembered fondly.