Brayden Schenn Reveals the Truth Behind Why He Blocked a Trade to the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Ryan Sun-Imagn Images
St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn reportedly blocked a trade to the Maple Leafs ahead of Friday's trade deadline, but has since revealed why he did it.
The Maple Leafs knew just when to pivot, and because of Brad Treliving's flexibility and deadline planning, he was able to successfully navigate his way through a semi-successful trade deadline, acquiring 3rd line centre Scott Laughton and top-4, right-shot defenseman Brandon Carlo.
The Carlo deal was a complete surprise to even the most astute NHL Insider, as Elliotte Friedman admitted on Friday that he did not see that one coming.
Laughton was a little more obvious, but apparently, he was not "plan A" for the Leafs. "Plan A" to address the Leafs' need at centre was none other than Brayden Schenn, who blocked a deal to Toronto before they pivoted to Laughton.
On Saturday, Schenn addressed the rumours, alluding to the fact that everyone knew where he was being linked to. He revealed that while he was a desired asset, his personal preference was always to help the Blues make the playoffs.
"It's no secret where my name was, tossed around. Just people texting me literally daily. Part of the business. Obviously, a little tough to deal with. At the end of the day, I've always said, I love being a Blue. I love playing here.
I feel like we've got a good thing going on, and we're going to make a push to the playoffs. I feel I couldn't go out there and quit on my teammates. It's important for us to keep on taking steps here and we're going to do everything we can to get in."
I feel like we've got a good thing going on, and we're going to make a push to the playoffs. I feel I couldn't go out there and quit on my teammates. It's important for us to keep on taking steps here and we're going to do everything we can to get in."
With the vast improvements made in the Central Division ahead of yesterday's deadline, the Blues are going to be hard up to get past Dallas or Colorado. There's no question that Schenn would have had a better chance to pursue another Stanley Cup playing in the Eastern Conference.
At any rate, you have to admire Schenn's commitment to his teammates as captain of the ship in St. Louis. This wasn't a case of not wanting to be a Leaf as much as this was about being content with where he is and hopeful that the Blues can potentially rediscover some of that magic from 2019, when the Blues went on their fairy tale run, culminating in Schenn's first career Stanley Cup win.
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