The St. Louis Blues are expected to be sellers by the March 7 NHL trade deadline with captain Brayden Schenn considered their most valuable trade chip.
Last week, TSN's Darren Dreger reported there was “potential” for Schenn to be traded. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman claimed the Blues would set a high asking price for the 33-year-old center. He also felt the Vegas Golden Knights sprang to mind as a destination if they could make it work.
The speculation died down as the pundits focused on the 4 Nations Face-Off. On Tuesday, Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic addressed the Schenn rumors in a mailbag segment.
Rutherford believed Schenn would draw the most interest among Blues players in the trade market. He noted that the well-respected center has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million but felt it shouldn't be an issue given the projected salary-cap increases over the next three seasons.
Schenn also has a full no-trade clause for this season. It becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1.
Rutherford cited Dreger and Chris Johnston of The Athletic reporting Blues GM Doug Armstrong sent out feelers to gauge Schenn's value in the trade market. He wondered if he would waive his clause to join a contender. Rutherford also said the Toronto Maple Leafs were the only team he'd heard that had an interest in the veteran center.
The Hockey News' Lou Korac reported Schenn acknowledged the trade rumors, saying he was surprised to hear his name mentioned. He maintained that St. Louis is the only place he wants to be. Schenn also said he wasn't approached by management about waiving his no-trade clause nor was there any indication that they would.
NHL Rumor Roundup: The Blues Could Become Major Sellers At The Trade Deadline
The St. Louis Blues surfaced in trade speculation and rumors near the end of last week. At risk of missing the playoffs again, will they be sellers and trade their captain?
Armstrong could be doing his due diligence to see what Schenn might fetch in the trade market. With his captain signed through 2027-28, he's under no pressure to trade him by March 7. If he doesn't receive any suitable offers, he can wait for the off-season to see if the market improves.
The change in Schenn's no-trade protection on July 1 could make him a more valuable trade commodity this summer. Teams that fail to sign one of the top free-agent forwards could be willing to pay a high price for the Blues center.
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