The Buffalo Sabres bolstered their defense overnight Thursday with a trade with the Winnipeg Jets that brought Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn to Western New York. As aggressive as Jarmo Kekalainen has been this week, it wouldn't be surprising if he wasn't done yet and turned his focus to the forwards before the 3 PM deadline.
One team the Sabres have been talking with a lot is the St. Louis Blues, and have had discussions around Robert Thomas and then Colton Parayko. However, neither was able to be completed, but that shouldn't stop Kekalainen from picking up the phone once again.
This time, though, the Sabres should be calling about center Brayden Schenn, who is the brother of the recently acquired Luke Schenn. It would be an opportunity to bring these two brothers back together and a chance to play on the same team for the first time since they played three seasons together with the Philadelphia Flyers.
That was back early in both of their careers and they were with the Flyers from the 2012-13 season until Luke Schenn was traded during the 2015-16 season.
Brayden Schenn is a veteran center that would add depth up the middle
Outside of it being a cool story, there are a lot of reasons that a trade like this makes sense from the Buffalo Sabres' perspective. Similar to Luke, Brayden Schenn has a lot of playoff experience that could be invaluable to a locker room that doesn't have that.
Brayden Schenn has played in 82 career playoff games and won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
While he is 34 years old and getting towards the end of his career, he can still make an impact on the ice for the Sabres. In 61 games this season, Schenn has 12 goals and 16 assists after recording 50 points last season.
Right now, the center position looks solid with Tage Thompson, Ryan McLeod, and Josh Norris all healthy. They also have players like Noah Ostlund, Peyton Krebs, the recently acquired Sam Carrick, and hopefully a returning Jiri Kulich that can slot in at center if needed.
On the surface, the position shouldn't be a concern but there are plenty of question marks that could change that in quick order. The biggest is the health of Josh Norris and Jiri Kulich, as Norris has missed several games this season, and it isn't a guarantee that Kulich will be able to return from blood clots.
However, with a player like Schenn, he can step in on that third line and be an asset there. It also gives Lindy Ruff options down the stretch and into the playoffs with how he builds his lines. Entering the season, Thompson was expected to be on the wing with Norris at center, and with a player like Brayden Schenn, it gives Ruff an option to try that line out if needed.
The biggest question with a move like this would be how much the St. Louis Blues are willing to retain in terms of salary, as he still has two years left with an AAV of $6.5 million. For the Buffalo Sabres, this is probably something they need to happen to get a deal done, and they would probably be willing to offer an extra pick to get it done.
In addition to the salary, the Sabres would also have to wait to see if Brayden Schenn would be willing to waive his modified no-trade clause. This was the issue with Colton Parayko and why that deal didn't get finalized.
However, a chance to play with his brother one more time before they call it a career should be enough incentive to waive that part of his clause. It is an interesting idea for the Buffalo Sabres and addresses a need they may not realize they have, while being a great story for the two brothers to play together one final time.