After having his name fly around the rumor mill during the 2024-25 version of the Trade Deadline, Brayden Schenn put his foot down and helped the St. Louis Blues into the playoffs. Now, with a new season ahead of him, and a big one at that, with three seasons left on his current contract, he has to be the perfect captain for this team to succeed.
How high are his expectations for 2025-26?
The perfect captain
Schenn had his name called quite a few times during the closing months of the 2024-25 season and had shut the door on all of them to retain his position as captain of the Blues. That resilient effort paid off with a franchise-record 12 straight wins and a playoff berth, which narrowly and devastatingly ended with a game seven loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Schenn had a solid year last year, with 18 goals and 32 assists for 50 points, and appeared in all 82 games.
The 16-year veteran is about to turn the page to 34 years old, and as I mentioned above, has three more years left on his current deal. Schenn has been the captain of the Blues since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, marking this upcoming year as the third year with the title. He has to continue being the sole leader of this group, taking them back to the playoffs with some new pieces around him.
Expectations for him would be to hit a career-high in one offensive category. Depending on his play-time, as the second or third line center, will factor into that. But, either way, he will have some great wingers around him that will be ready to score the puck, so chances are that he could break his single-season assist record of 44, which he set in 2022-23 with the Blues.
Fighting for the second center spot
Speaking of those new pieces, Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad have entered the conversation down the middle of the ice. Schenn was the primary guy at the second center spot, but that does not seem to be set in stone for next season. Going into training camp, behind Robert Thomas is a three-way battle to fill out the bottom three lines at center.
Bjugstad is likely out of the race for the 2C spot, as he does not have that kind of experience with those minutes, nor the skill to man it. That leaves Schenn and Suter to duke it out. Schenn has the seniority, but Suter was brought in for the sole reason of winning that spot and taking it from Schenn.
Training camp, as well as the preseason, will show a better picture of who gets it versus who doesn't. Schenn's expectation is going to be that he will win the battle, forcing head coach Jim Montgomery to go with experience over fresh legs.