Yes, you read that headline right. Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report listed Blues captain Brayden Schenn as one of five players who could be moved at the 2025 NHL Draft. Yeah, that would be a shocker if you’re a Blues fan, considering the pivotal role he played in this team’s resurgence.
The good news here is that Richardson was rather vague in explaining his case, so I wouldn’t get all up in arms about this one. Instead, I’d rather ask you this: Does trading Schenn after the Blues look like they’re back on the up-and-up make any remote sense to you? Probably not, since he’s a) their captain, and b) there’s the fact he can still play.
Schenn’s older, yes, and if the Blues missed the playoffs this past season, I wouldn’t eliminate the possibility he could have ended up elsewhere. But in this situation? When the Blues could be a player or two away from making at least a moderately deep playoff run? Unless there’s generous compensation at the draft, Schenn’s staying in town.
What would the Blues need if they ended up trading Schenn at the draft?
The only way I’d justify the Blues trading Schenn would be if a contender were to dish out a pair of young players in the same mold as Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. In that case, I’d say, “Good riddance.” But at this point, after the stunt Doug Armstrong pulled last season to land Holloway and Broberg, I’m not counting on it.
And I know some of you wouldn’t even make the trade then, but you also need to understand what’s best for the team. I get it, there’s an emotional pull to Schenn. But the goal for any hockey team is to win the Stanley Cup, not keep older veterans around when there could be players with more long-term upside available.
Still, it’s highly unlikely that such a thing occurs. So, brace yourself to enjoy at least another year of Brayden Schenn’s company while the Blues look to build off their success last season. So if you want my projection, it’s that he’ll still be on pace to wear the Blue Note beyond the 2025 draft.
The Blues can still keep Schenn and acquire another Broberg/Holloway
Yes, the Blues could still use another Philip Broberg//Dylan Holloway tandem; it just won’t involve trading Brayden Schenn. And I got two players on my mind who could cost some in draft assets and a few players/prospects - but why not try to make a mega trade with the Buffalo Sabres?
We know Bowen Byram’s playing somewhere else next season, and JJ Peterka could be on his way out. Hey, the Sabres wouldn’t fare too well if they wanted Schenn in such a trade, but let’s be real: acquiring Byram and Peterka would be off-the-charts a dynamic move for Armstrong.
You get these two players, and you might just have the fruits for a deep playoff run in the Lou. Byram is one of the NHL’s more underrated two-way blueliners and Peterka is a sneaky-good scorer. So, while Schenn may not be on the move, maybe a few players are, should the Blues make that big offseason trade.
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