Playoff Hopeful Blues Can't Trade Captain

As the trade deadline closes in, plenty of speculation has popped up around the St. Louis Blues and their captain Brayden Schenn. The Blues entered the 2024-25 season looking to find their way back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has been playing hardball since the offseason, and his work is starting to pay off a bit. The Blues still aren’t holding a spot in the Western Conference playoffs, but they’re within striking distance.

Why would a team that close to reaching the playoffs trade their captain? Especially a captain who has all of the say with a full no-trade clause in his contract.

The Blues lineup has been taking a run at the playoffs all season and are riding a stellar 6-2-2 run in their last 10 games played. With all the momentum in their favor, trading away their captain, even for a huge return, would let a ton of air out of their balloon.

Schenn doesn’t lead the team in scoring but has 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 total points in 62 games played. Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs have expressed interest, but so far the Blues have stood pat.

It’s understandable for front offices to listen to what might be available for returns on big-name players. And it’s fair to see what kind of return Schenn might pull. But at this very moment, trading their captain wouldn’t be a wise decision in St. Louis.

A trade involving Schenn just doesn’t make sense at this point. The Blues are shooting for a playoff spot and could use their leader in the fight.

Schenn still has three years left on his contract after this season. If the Blues miss the playoffs, or are an early exit and want to rekindle trade discussions in the offseason, by all means, that’s acceptable.

But pulling the plug on the captain of a team right in the heat of the race would be the equivalent of waiving the white flag. If the Blues decide to trade away their captain mid-battle, then they might as well trade Jordan Binnington, too and say they’ve given up on the 2024-25 season.