Mathieu Darche’s big move , why the New York Islanders acquired Brayden Schenn

The New York Islanders made a splash during the NHL trade deadline and it was a shocker. It was known that the Islanders and St Louis Blues were in talks. Many thought the trade would be for Jordan Kyrou or Robert Thomas, but it was for Brayden Schenn. 

Schenn wasn’t on the radar and the trade package was hefty. The Islanders traded away the Colorado Avalanche’s 2026 first-round pick, New Jersey Devils 2026 third-round pick, Jonathan Drouin, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof. 

Schenn played in 61 games and had 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in his time with the Blues this season. While the points aren’t great Schenn adds more value in areas that may get overlooked. He has a faceoff winning percentage of 54.2% and is a physical player with 147 hits so far this season, which is third on the Islanders. 

Darche clearly wanted to add some physicality to the team while also obtaining a player who actually could contribute in other areas. With the Islanders Schenn has one goal and two assists in five games, but is he worth the price? 

Schenn has two years left after this season and makes $6.5 million per season. That’s a lot of money for a 34-year-old. Schenn brings a lot off the ice that the Islanders could use, and that’s a veteran center for Calum Ritchie. 

The Islanders are an older team, but they still don’t contain a ton of winning experience. The only two players who have won a stanley cup on the Islanders roster are two players who Darche acquired and that’s Ondrej Palat and Schenn. 

Schenn has already paid dividends for Ritchie and it’s showing. The 21-year-old has two goals and three assists in five games since Schenn has joined the squad. Ritchie is a -4, but has been seeing a lot more ice time compared to his season average. 

Schenn fits the kind of player that the blue and orange were looking for and while it was a hefty price to pay it seems to be benefiting the team not just right now, but also over time.