Livescore
St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn continues to be linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs with a week to go until the NHL trade deadline.
TSN’s Darren Dreger thinks the 33-year-old Blues captain would be a great fit with the Leafs. He said they have tradeable assets to acquire Schenn, pointing to prospects like Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan.
The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford and Joshua Kloke noted a recent report from colleagues Jonas Siegel and Chris Johnston indicating that Schenn is the Leafs’ primary trade target. They believe the Blues aren’t shopping their captain, but other clubs could be making inquiries.
Rutherford and Kloke suggested that any return from Toronto for Schenn must include their 2026 first-rounder. They think the Leafs could dangle one of their goaltending prospects. It could also cost the Leafs a top prospect, such as Minten or Cowan, if they want the Blues to retain salary.
Schenn is signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $6.5 million and a full no-trade clause for this season. The Blues aren’t under any pressure to move him at the trade deadline. They can try again in the off-season if they don’t get any suitable offers by March 7.
Report: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Interested In Blues’ Brayden Schenn, John Tavares Deal ‘Doubtful’ To Be Done By NHL Trade Deadline Flyers forward Scott Laughton was also named a target the Maple Leafs are looking at.
Turning to the New York Islanders, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple believes it’s time for GM Lou Lamoriello to sell.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Islanders are seven points out of a playoff spot and six points from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner reported the Los Angeles Kings are among a handful of clubs that inquired about right winger Kyle Palmieri, who could be trade bait if he and the Islanders don’t agree on a contract extension in the next week. Palmieri has 39 points in 58 games.
Staple doesn’t believe the Islanders are any closer to re-signing pending UFA Brock Nelson. He suggested that Lamoriello start fielding trade offers for the 33-year-old two-way center. Other trade candidates could include center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and one of the Isles’ over-30 defensemen.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella said there could be “trade deadline casualties” as his club continues to rebuild. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and center Scott Laughton are considered their biggest trade chips.
It’s assumed teams would highly covet Ristolainen given his size, physical play and right-hand shot. However, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz cited a Flyers source claiming they’re not getting many calls for the 30-year-old defenseman. That could change as the March 7 deadline approaches, but it appears Ristolainen could stay in Philadelphia.
Ristolainen’s contract could factor into that. He’s got two more years left on his deal with an average annual value of $5.1 million. The Flyers are also believed to be setting a high asking price.
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