Brayden Schenn was traded to the New York Islanders by the St. Louis Blues on Friday.
St. Louis received forward Jonathan Drouin, goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof, and first- and third-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft for the 34-year-old forward.
“When you look at the team, they’re built with a solid goalie and a lot of good pieces with Matthew Schaefer, (Mathew) Barzal, (Bo) Horvat, the list goes on and on,” Schenn said on TSN of the Islanders. “It’s a great place to play. A lot of guys enjoy playing there and living there.”
Schenn has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games this season. He is in the sixth season of an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Blues on Oct. 24, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2027-28 season.
The No. 5 pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL Draft, Schenn has 713 points (290 goals, 423 assists) in 1,083 regular-season games for the Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Blues, and 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Schenn, who was captain of the Blues for the past three seasons, helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2019.
“Leading up to the Deadline, with all the rumors and where we’re at, you think about it quite a bit. It’s a great place with a great organization and good team. I think what people don’t realize about it is the human element of it,” Schenn said. “As you get older, guys have families. There’s all that part of it that comes with pro sports, but we know what we sign up for. It’s emotional.
“St. Louis was a great spot for me; probably the best thing to happen in hockey for me up until this date. Playing with just a bunch of good, solid people; great community, city, and won the Stanley Cup there. It’s been a special place for me and my family. Going to miss St. Louis, but excited for the next chapter.”
