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Report: Maple Leafs are ‘most definitely interested’ in Blues captain Brayden Schenn
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Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Alex Hobson
Feb 26, 2025, 08:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 26, 2025, 07:23 EST
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are riding the high of six wins in their last seven games, claiming sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
With four games remaining before the trade deadline and the chatter of Toronto needing to improve their depth scoring ramping up, some of the guys who could be in danger of losing their jobs have ramped up their game following the 4 Nations break, including Nick Robertson and Pontus Holmberg. The former tied the game at 3-3 for his third goal in two games, and the latter scored his fourth goal in three games to tie the game at 4-4 with less than a minute remaining.
With or without the Leafs’ new surge of depth scoring, general manager Brad Treliving will be looking to upgrade their forward group, and the vibes around this trade deadline feel more comparable to the Ryan O’Reilly/Jake McCabe deadline of two years ago rather than the Joel Edmundson/Connor Dewar deadline of last season. Since the Leafs appear to have a solid relationship with the St. Louis Blues, between trades in past seasons and the Craig Berube connection as their former head coach, it’s no surprise that they’re checking in on some of their trade chips as they sit four points out of a playoff spot. The latest name to see his name connected is Captain Brayden Schenn.
On the latest edition of Insider Trading, TSN insider Darren Dreger officially linked the Leafs and Schenn together.
“We look at Brayden Schenn as being a great fit in Toronto because of the player and because of the winning pedigree,” Dreger said. “You look at the prospect pool in Toronto and you see Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan. You’ve got Nikita Grebenkin. You’ve got Ben Danford coming. I mean, there are other assets that Brad Treliving can use. And he’s most definitely interested in the captain of the Blues.”
The Leafs have familiarity with Schenn’s older brother, Luke, who was drafted by the Leafs fifth overall in 2008 and returned to the team at the 2023 trade deadline after 11 years away, skating alongside Morgan Rielly and helping them win their first playoff round in 19 years. The younger Schenn is currently having a bit of a down year offensively, with 12 goals and 34 points in 59 games, and he has three years remaining on his contract after this season, carrying a cap hit of $6.5 million.
It’s important to note that Ryan O’Reilly was also performing below his standards when the Leafs traded for him, and he quickly turned it around in his new uniform. Still, the risk of taking on a contract like Schenn’s without retention under the assumption that he’ll find his game the way O’Reilly did might be greater than what they’re willing to take.
There has also been chatter about the possibility of the Blues and Nashville Predators working together to send both Schenn brothers to the same team, and Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman speculated that the Leafs were one of two teams who reached out about the possibility.
With defensive anchor Chris Tanev leaving Tuesday night’s game in Boston with his arm in a sling, it’s entirely possible that the Leafs pivot their attention to the back end, but they likely aren’t feeling satisfied enough with their depth scoring to ignore the issue altogether despite the production in the past three games. With the trade deadline a little over one week away, expect these talks to ramp up in between games.
Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!
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