The NHL trade deadline used to be an exciting time of possibilities for many St. Louis Blues fans. However, when the team is not doing well, it becomes a rather bothersome time to sift through cranky online fans spreading nonsense and rumors that are merely smokescreens.
With the 2024-25 Blues currently in 10th place in the Western Conference during the 4 Nations Tournament, it is unsurprising that the team is thinking about selling. Doug Armstrong has said he cannot blame the coaching any longer, so changing the guys in the locker room is the only option left.
It's also not surprising that the team's captain, Brayden Schenn, is among the names rumored to be potentially heading to a new team. He fits the bill for what a lot of teams look for in a playoff run.
He is a physical forward with 140 hits or more in the last three seasons, who can still provide an offensive spark and he's willing to get his nose dirty in some of the hardest areas of the ice and toughest aspects of the game. Add in his leadership skills with the locker room and you've got a clear veteran winner that potential playoff teams salivate over.
Standing in his way is his age and his contract. Schenn is currently 33 and his offense has declined. He is also on a contract with a cap hit of $6.5 million that continues until the end of the 2027-28 season.
Even with the cap scheduled to go up in 2025-26, many teams would be reluctant to add a player who will be 36 when his deal is up and being paid that much. The local radio hosts even suggest the Blues may have to retain some salary if they wanted to make such a deal.
That plays into my contention about these rumors. For me, there is only one scenario where the Blues should trade off their captain.
A Big Return
If the Blues are going to move on from their current "C" bearer, they must get a large haul in return. Additionally, they need to not retain any money past this season.
More often than not, I understand the mantra of "that's just how business is done these days." Players get no trade clauses because of that and also more money than they are likely worth.
When it comes to retaining salary, I don't care - you don't do it. Frankly, if I'm going to pay for the player, I'd rather just have the player.
St. Louis doesn't have a ready-made center waiting in the wings to take over what Schenn already provides. Dalibor Dvorsky is the man the team hopes will be their number one or two center for the future, but he is not the total package yet, and putting the pressure on him to perform without veteran guidance would be foolhardy.
So, teams that want the Blues to retain part of the salary beyond whatever is owed the rest of 2024-25 can take a walk. Additionally, they need to pay a premium.
Again, the radio hosts want to make it out like this is foolish and the Blues need to be bending over backwards to make these deals. Why? What does the team gain by trading away a known commodity for a draft pick that may not even play in the NHL for two or three years, if ever?
If a team is desperate enough to want that final push towards a Stanley Cup, they need to pay. While Schenn isn't a transformational player any longer, he still provides the intangibles that are invaluable in the playoffs.
What kind of return?
First, and foremost, the Blues need NHL talent in return. At the very least, they need to receive an AHL player who is on the cusp of making the big league and his current team is simply logjammed at that position. This idea that the Blues should only look for draft capital is just silly.
While they aren't one player away from championship material, they are past the point where more draft picks don't make any sense. The prospect pool is reasonably full, so the Blues need guys who are already proven, not more potential.
Most analysts, radio hosts, and fans would say none of that is realistic. They'd say the Blues will have to settle and should just want to create space.
Again, why? Schenn still has enough offensive punch to be a good third-line center on a good team and fill in the top six minutes when stuff hits the fan. Why pay another team to take that away and get some ethereal possibility for the future?
Given the way everything has transpired over the last eight years, the Blues have now completely won the Schenn trade. They got rid of the Jori Lehtera contract and the two draftees selected by Philadelphia with the Blues picks, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, are now with the Calgary Flames.
Any team could use $6.5 million extra in space, but there's no guarantee the Blues would choose to use that space just for the sake of spending the money. With the salary cap going up, you're likely to only get a player of Schenn's current caliber at that price anyway.
So, why not stick with the devil you know instead of the one you don't know unless you can get a pretty large return?
Why can't the Blues look for something similar to the reverse of the Ryan O'Reilly trade? I'm not even saying it has to be a 30-plus goal scorer like Tage Thompson can be, but something in that range.
Even if not a high prospect, at least get someone who brings some grit and nastiness to be the bodyguard to the young guys currently on the roster and those who might make the cut next season. If none of that is possible, I'd rather just keep the captain as opposed to the cap space.