The St. Louis Blues are expected to become sellers ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline, with team captain Brayden Schenn seen as their most valuable trade asset.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported last week that there is “potential” for Schenn to be traded. Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that the Blues would likely ask for a high return for the 33-year-old center and speculated that the Vegas Golden Knights could be a possible destination, should they find a way to make it work.
As attention shifted to the 4 Nations Face-Off, the trade chatter surrounding Schenn quieted down. However, on Tuesday, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, covering the Blues, addressed the ongoing rumors in a mailbag segment.
Rutherford noted that Schenn would likely attract the most trade interest among St. Louis players. He pointed out that the respected center still has three years remaining on his contract with a $6.5 million average annual value. However, he didn’t think this would be a problem given the expected salary-cap increases in the coming years.
Schenn also holds a full no-trade clause for this season, which will turn into a 15-team no-trade list starting on July 1.
Rutherford referenced reports from Dreger and Chris Johnston of The Athletic, which indicated that Blues GM Doug Armstrong had sent out feelers to assess Schenn’s trade value. He speculated whether Schenn might waive his no-trade clause to join a contender. Rutherford also mentioned that the only team showing interest in Schenn was the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to his sources.
The Hockey News’ Lou Korac reported that Schenn acknowledged the trade rumors, expressing surprise at hearing his name being linked to a move. Schenn affirmed that St. Louis is the only place he wants to play. He also stated that the management had not approached him about waiving his no-trade clause, nor had there been any signs that they would ask him to.
While Armstrong may simply be doing his due diligence to assess Schenn’s trade value, he has no immediate pressure to deal his captain, as Schenn is under contract through 2027-28. If the Blues don’t receive any acceptable offers by the March 7 deadline, Armstrong could hold off on a trade until the off-season, when the market may present more opportunities.
The modification to Schenn’s no-trade protection on July 1 could increase his trade value, making him a more attractive option for teams looking to acquire a top forward, especially if they miss out on the premier free-agent forwards.