The trade between the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders that sends Brayden Schenn to Long Island in exchange for Jonathan Drouin, a 2026 first round pick via Colorado, a 2026 third round pick, and goaltending prospect Marcus Gidlof. The Islanders are clearly pushing to strengthen their roster for both the playoff race and the next few seasons, while the Blues appear to be taking a longer view by converting a veteran leader into future assets and roster flexibility.

What the Islanders Get

Brayden Schenn had been a key piece of the St. Louis Blues for several seasons, serving as captain while providing reliable two-way play, leadership, valuable playoff experience and a physical presence throughout the lineup. His game is built around a heavy forecheck, strong net-front presence, and he becomes a reliable option in defensive situations and late-game matchups. The Islanders have him under contract for multiple seasons, giving the them the stability in their middle six beyond this year's playoff push. He strengthens the center depth behind Bo Horvat and while also having the flexibility to shift to the wing depending on matchups or line combinations.

Younger forwards such as Calum Ritchie, who had been seeing elevated minutes down the middle, may now slide into a more sheltered role. While that slightly reduces opportunity for younger players, it also gives the Islanders better balance throughout the lineup. Schenn's value should continue providing multi-category production through hits, shots, and secondary scoring. If he gets a chance to play on the top line with Matthew Barzal and Bo Horvat, he could potentially see an increase in production.

What the Blues Get

For the Blues, the return is centered around future assets and added roster flexibility as they continue shaping the next phase of the roster. The centerpiece of the deal is the 2026 first-round pick originally belonging to Colorado. That selection could land toward the later portion of the round if the Avalanche make it deep into the playoffs. The additional third-round pick adds to their draft capital and is another piece to the organization's prospect pipeline.

Jonathan Drouin is the immediate roster replacement in the deal. While his season has been inconsistent, he still brings a playmaking ability and offensive skill. A move to St. Louis could give him a fresh opportunity to carve out a larger role, potentially in the middle six while also seeing time on the power play, likely on the second unit. Prospect Marcus Gidlof adds an intriguing long-term piece as a towering Swedish goaltending prospect. He will not see any NHL action for some time however his size alone makes him an interesting development project. Adding another potential high-upside netminder gives the Blues additional depth behind Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer in the coming years.

As St. Louis leans younger, offensive responsibility is spreading out, creating more opportunity for players like Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Dylan Holloway, who recenlty just returned from injury. This shift gives the younger core a chance to take on bigger roles and could boost their fantasy upside moving forward.

Who This Helps

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Who This Hurts

Calum Ritchie

Jonathan Drouin

Ondrej Palat