Blues Views

Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk more about the trade deadline as a whole.

The returns on Friday were excellent. Faulk getting a 1st and 3rd was about what most people expected, but the addition of Buchelikov is a smart, high-upside move. Schenn’s return was slightly above expectations as well. A 1st rounder (Colorado’s, so somewhere in the 28–32 range), a 3rd rounder, and a 6-foot-7 goalie prospect who’s probably nothing but you never know with goalies. The addition of Drouin and Holl are mostly cap dumps, but the Blues save $9.0 million next year and $13.0 million in 2027-28. Overall, moving both players was the obvious call, and Army held his ground, worked around the partial NTCs, and seemed to maximize value.

Where I’ll give him and the organization extra props is the vision they clearly showed in the trades that didn’t get completed. If you move past the ironic, frustrating NTC issues, the fact that St. Louis was willing to move off Parayko for futures is a very encouraging and relieving sign. The same goes for the HEAVY Thomas rumors that were reportedly very close to being completed. There were also several reports suggesting other major deals were likely rejected by NTCs, with some “fierce” conversations between player/agent/GM. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and it appears Army attempted a bunch of different routes to blow things up.

While it’s a bit disappointing we reached this point with the roster, at least it shows a real openness to shifting direction and making adjustments to correct past errors. The front office was willing to lean into more short-term pain for long-term gain IF the right future assets were on the table, (and the players approved). That’s not an easy decision for a franchise to make, and the Blues deserve some credit for being willing to explore it.

Now there’s an entire offseason to reassess. They may circle back and see if a team is willing to mortgage their future for Thomas, Kyrou, or Parayko. Or they could stay the course, continue slowly clearing cap, and hope our prospects develop and meet/exceed expectations. It’s a very intriguing summer ahead. A lottery pick would do wonders.

Brayden Schenn is a Stanley Cup champion.

I can still clearly remember the moment the Blues traded Jori Lehtera and two first-round picks to Philadelphia for Brayden Schenn at the 2017 draft. It was a relief that St. Louis had finally addressed its desperate need for a top-six center. Little did we know he would go on to become a nine-year veteran with the franchise, a future captain, and a Stanley Cup champion.

While his early extension was always a bit perplexing, and there has been a clear skill decline over the last few seasons, you could never question the player’s heart. Schenn gave everything he had every shift. He was always willing to drop the gloves to spark the squad, and he consistently said the right things about the team and the city. He was an incredible soldier for this organization, and Blues fans owe him a tremendous amount of gratitude for his time in St. Louis.

Schenn ends his Blues career with 650 games played, 181 goals, and 465 points. He was a consistent force, putting up 16+ goals in eight straight seasons which includes five 20+ goals campaigns. He was rarely injured, playing in every single game over the past four seasons - something rare in today’s NHL. In the playoffs, he tallied 10 goals and 29 points, including 5 goals and 7 assists during the 2019 playoff run.

His 3-0 goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is one of the greatest goals in Blues history and a moment this city will never forget. On top of that, he scored a massive Game 6 goal in the clincher against the Sharks, and maybe the most underrated goal of that entire run: the tying goal in Game 5 against the Jets.

Thank you for everything, Schenn. Best of luck on Long Island.