St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn skates past the crowd during an away game against the Ottawa Senators. A hopeful fan in the front row holds up a sign urging Schenn to “Come to Ottawa,” fueling the recent NHL trade rumors linking the veteran forward to the Senators.
The Ottawa Senators are officially hunting for upgrades. With the team hovering just one point out of a playoff spot, GM Steve Staios is reportedly looking to add “extra punch” to his forward group, and a significant name has surfaced. According to NHL insider Dave Pagnotta, the Senators have circled back to the St. Louis Blues with serious interest in veteran forward Brayden Schenn. This isn’t just a depth add; this is a move for leadership, grit, and scoring. But with Schenn’s hefty contract, how does Ottawa make the money work, and what is the asking price? Let’s dive into the report and the potential trade package.
The report comes from The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta, who joined NHL Now to discuss Ottawa’s strategy approaching the deadline. “They started poking around earlier on in the season to see what offensive weapons might potentially be available,” Pagnotta said. “It looks like they’ve circled back now… they have checked in with the St. Louis Blues about Brayden Schenn.”
This makes perfect sense for where Ottawa is right now. The goaltending has stabilized enough to compete, but the secondary scoring needs help supporting Brady Tkachuk. Schenn fits the mold of what Staios likes—he plays heavy, he plays hard, and he has a Stanley Cup ring. However, executing this trade is far more complicated than a simple one-for-one swap.
Analyzing the Cost: What a Brayden Schenn Trade Looks Like
Schenn is 34 and carries a $6.5 million cap hit through the 2027–28 season. While Ottawa has accrued roughly $9.56 million in deadline cap space, they cannot absorb that full contract without crippling their future flexibility. Any deal involving Schenn hinges entirely on salary retention.
Based on the current market, here is the type of trade package the Blues would likely demand from Ottawa to complete this move:
The most realistic scenario is the “Maximum Retention” package. St. Louis would need to retain 50% of Schenn’s salary (dropping his AAV to $3.25M) to maximize the return assets. In exchange for eating that money for the next 2.5 years, the Blues would likely ask for a 2nd Round Pick and a prospect like Tyler Boucher. Boucher offers the physical style St. Louis covets but hasn’t fully established himself in Ottawa yet, making him a prime candidate for a “change of scenery” trade.
Alternatively, if St. Louis refuses to retain significant salary, we could see a “Bad Contract Swap.” This would involve Ottawa sending a roster player with an undesirable contract plus a first-round pick back to St. Louis. However, given Staios’s desire to improve the team now, he is unlikely to want to subtract a roster player unless absolutely necessary.
Ultimately, if these two GMs connect, expect the conversation to revolve around Ottawa’s 2027 draft capital and physical prospects. Schenn would bring immediate legitimacy to the Sens’ middle-six, but the cost will be paid in futures.
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