NY Islanders fans can still hate the Schenn trade but his play tells another story

There are New York Islanders fans who will never like the Brayden Schenn trade. He could score tomorrow, deliver another three-point night next week and help drag this team into the playoffs next spring. Somewhere, somebody will still bring up the first-round pick.

And that doesn’t automatically make them wrong.

The objection was always bigger than Schenn himself. Mathieu Darche surrendered Jonathan Drouin, goaltending prospect Marcus Gidlof, a first-round pick and a third-round pick to acquire him. That’s a substantial investment in an aging player, especially when the immediate payoff was supposed to include playoff hockey. The Isles missed anyway. You don’t erase that disappointment with a good November.

But Schenn deserves to have his performance evaluated separately from the transaction.

He has always been a quality NHL player. The question was how much remained. At 35, coming off an underwhelming introduction to Long Island, it was reasonable to wonder whether the Isles had paid for a version of Schenn they would never actually get.

Lately, he’s making that assumption look premature.

Thursday’s goal and two assists against the Kings gave Schenn 16 points through 18 games. He had seven points over his last four appearances. Those are meaningful contributions from someone too easily discussed as though his remaining value begins and ends with being good in the dressing room.

Then there’s Victor Eklund. Schenn has assisted on six of the rookie’s seven goals, and recent reporting has detailed the time he spends answering questions and working with Eklund after practice. That relationship gives the Isles something beyond a veteran producing for himself: a veteran helping a young player find his footing.

None of this requires anyone to declare Darche the winner of the trade. The cost still matters. So does what those assets might eventually become.

Fans can keep lamenting the deal. Most probably won’t change their minds.

Schenn, meanwhile, is giving them reasons to cheer the player they wish had cost less.

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