REPORT: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs Competing For Schenn

On Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman reported that several teams were interested in St. Louis Blues Captain Brayden Schenn. He mentioned the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights by name. 

“I think one player [the Maple Leafs] are definitely, definitely considering in terms of both acquisition cost, and is there any way they can do possible retention, is Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues… I don’t believe the Maple Leafs are the lone team considering this, I believe there are others. One of them, although they haven’t confirmed it, obviously, is Vegas. We’ll see. There’s competition there.”

This isn’t Friedman’s first time linking Schenn to the Golden Knights; he wondered about the connection weeks ago on an episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

“I don’t know if they have what St. Louis wants, but the team that immediately jumped into my mind was Vegas,” said Friedman then. “Vegas really jumped in my mind because Brayden Schenn played for [Golden Knights GM] Kelly McCrimmon in the Western Hockey League. And you don’t underestimate Kelly McCrimmon — when he decides he wants someone, he will do what it takes to try and get that person.”

Why It Would Work

Schenn, like Brandon Saad, would likely fit into the Golden Knights system quite seamlessly. Schenn is still relatively fast and can do some real damage in transition. 

In the short term, Schenn could allow Brett Howden to slide back to wing. Howden was magnificent on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks, but his style of play is better suited for wing. At center, he has more defensive responsibilities; thus, he can’t be as aggressive on the forecheck.

Schenn blocks shots and is a heavy hitter. He can provide more offense in the bottom six and could slot in on the 2nd power play unit– although Saad still hasn’t, so there’s no guarantee. He’d be another option to kill penalties, and since the Golden Knights’ penalty kill is 21st in the league at 76.9%, that would probably be a good thing.

When Karlsson eventually returns from injury, Schenn would be another strong center on a team that’s already deep down the middle. You can never have too many centers, especially in the playoffs. 

Why It Wouldn’t Work

The biggest knock against Schenn is that he’s signed through 2028 and makes $6.5 million per year. In itself, that’s not a bad thing. But the Golden Knights already have two centers on the wrong side of 30 in Tomáš Hertl and the aforementioned William Karlsson. Unless Karlsson is ruled out for the season, acquiring Schenn feels counterintuitive. 

With Karlsson on LTIR, the Golden Knights currently have just over $2 million in salary cap space. If they add Shea Theodore, that increases to just shy of $7 million. At that point, the Golden Knights could theoretically eat Schenn’s fullcontract– but it would make it difficult for Theodore or Karlsson to return before the postseason.

With the salary cap increasing drastically over the next three years, it wouldn’t be hard to accommodate Schenn’s contract in the long run. But it’s important to remember that Jack Eichel’s deal expires in 2026 and that the Golden Knights still don’t have a goaltender signed for next season.

Moving on from Schenn’s contract, I’m just not sure how they would acquire him. The Golden Knights don’t have many tradable assets and can ill afford to get into a bidding war. Especially not one with a team like Toronto that reeks of desperation.

What Schenn Would Cost

This is a seller’s market if I’ve ever seen one. The Florida Panthers traded a first-round pick and Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks for Seth Jones at 25% retained. The Colorado Avalanche acquired Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers for Jusso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, a 2025 second-rounder, and a 2025 fourth-rounder. The Dallas Stars traded a 2025 first-rounder and a conditional third for Cody Ceci and Mikael Granlund.

Unless things have changed– they probably haven’t– Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong is “asking a big price” for the captain. He won’t come cheap, especially since the Blues will likely have to retain some salary. Schenn isn’t a rental and still has three seasons left on his deal. 

If I had to guess, Schenn will cost a first-rounder– which the Golden Knights don’t have until 2027– as well as a good prospect.

The Golden Knights don’t exactly have many of those ‘good prospects’ to spare. They have Trevor Connelly, their first-round draft pick in 2024, but after that, their cupboard is bare. They also can’t overcompensate for that with picks– they have 12 draft picks over the next two years, but again, no first-rounder until 2027. 

Final Thoughts

Schenn is a good player, and I see him fitting in with the Golden Knights. However, if the Golden Knights are baited into a bidding war here, they’ll lose. Even if they get Schenn, what they’ll have to give up will make them the losers.