UPDATE: Brayden Schenn has waived his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade to the New York Islanders.
With the trade deadline just hours away, rumors are starting to pile on as teams try to make their final moves ahead of the 1 p.m. MT deadline.
The St. Louis Blues are one of the clubs in selling mode, although they’ve struck out on a few of the bigger deals they tried to make. Most notably, Colton Parayko. The longtime franchise defenseman nixed a trade that would’ve sent him to the Buffalo Sabres for at least two strong assets.
Another name that has been on the block, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, is forward Brayden Schenn. The 34-year-old plays both center and wing, and is in the middle of a tough season for his standards, as is the case for many of their players. It sounds like the Blues captain, who has a 15-team no-trade clause, is interested in playing for the Avalanche.
“Schenn might only be interested in moving if the team is the Colorado Avalanche,” Rutherford, a longtime Blues beat reporter, wrote in his latest piece.
Schenn has 12 goals and 28 points in 61 games. He has two more years remaining on his deal after this season, with a $6.5 million cap hit. Last season, Schenn had 50 points in 82 games.
There’s no reason to believe that the Avs are interested in acquiring Schenn. If they were to inquire, it would likely require retention on the Blues’ behalf, and it would be an addition for Colorado to bolster the third line’s wings. Schenn is currently playing LW on the top line with center Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud.
Schenn has played for the division rival Blues since 2017-18, winning a Stanley Cup the following year. While he has been involved in several heated battles against the Avs, he’s also close with Nathan MacKinnon on a personal level.
The Avs have bolstered their depth this week in acquiring defenseman Nick Blankenburg and center Nicolas Roy.