As the Trade Deadline is fast approaching, the rumor mill is circling all across the league. Reports are going out on social media like wildfire about every available hockey player. For the St. Louis Blues, the thought of them being buyers or sellers at the deadline is not set in stone just yet. It will all come down to where they are in the standings after the 4 Nations Face-off next week.
One rumor starting to make their rounds is the prospect of trading away the captain of the Blues, Brayden Schenn. Darren Dreger from TSN reported on it yesterday, stating this:
Indeed, a return for Schenn would have to be of "mammoth size." But what if the Blues were to do the right thing and not trade away their center? Here is why it shouldn't shock you if the Blues don't ship off Schenn.
Solid Player
Even though the Blues, as well as Schenn, have been underperforming this season, he is still a very solid player. At 33 years old, he still has plenty of time left to still be an impactful player on this team. And, with the younger guys possibly making their debut, either this season or next, they will have to rely on Schenn's veteran awareness to transition into the NHL.
With 11 goals and 19 assists this season for 30 points, he is on his way toward a 50+ point season. Not ideal for a guy you are paying $6.5 million a year for, but it is the other things that make up for his lack of high-point production. Currently at 141 hits on the year, he could potentially hit the 200-hit mark for the second time in his career, (he hit 200 times in 2013-14 at 22 years old).
Sure he is not going to go out there and get you 30 goals a year, which he has yet to do with a career-high being 28. But, he brings a well-rounded game of acceptable offensive output, tenacity, grit, dependability at the face-off-dot, and experience that is sorely lacking up the middle of this offensive unit.
Asking how much?
What exactly constitutes a "mammoth" return? Say, for example, the Toronto Maple Leafs do bite on Schenn. Who comes back over for the Blues? An array of draft picks. An up-and-comer like Nick Robertson and more draft picks. Maybe an established veteran forward like Max Domi.
Is it even worth it for the Blues to ship off their captain, who has a no-trade clause built into his contract that expires at the end of 2027-28? Or, do they hold on to their guy, make the most out of this season, and use him as the bridge between the re-tooling Blues, to the fresh-faced, playoff-contending Blues of the future?
A lot to think about over the next few weeks, but trading away Brayden Schenn, shouldn't be one of them.