Maple Leafs Lack Assets for Blues’ Brayden Schenn Trade: Report

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn, but according to different NHL insiders, the Canadian club might not have enough to pry him from St. Louis.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN's Darren Dreger discussed the interest in the past few days, and both agree that the cost to acquire him may be more than Toronto can afford.

Friedman noted during Sportnet's "Saturday Headlines" segment that the Leafs lack the necessary assets to seriously engage in trade talks with St. Louis.

"I won't throw out names from Toronto's standpoint because I don't think they have the assets to approach that negotiation," Friedman said. "But I would look at a top young prospect, maybe another top prospect from the AHL, and a top draft pick."

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Dreger, on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading," had already reported that the Blues were open to moving Schenn but that any trade would require a "mammoth" return in exchange for their captain.

"Some believe that there's potential of Brayden Schenn being traded by the St Louis Blues," Dreger said. "He is their captain. He does have a full no-trade clause, so it is a complicated process.

"We know Doug Armstrong, the general manager, very well -- how aggressive he can be -- and the Blues are underachieving right now.

"So yes, the top contenders, looking at the market, looking for a center, are interested, and that would include the Toronto Maple Leafs."

The Leafs face multiple challenges in trying to acquire Schenn, who has 11 goals and 21 assists in 56 games this season.

First, his $6.5 million cap hit runs through 2028, meaning Toronto would need to clear a significant salary to fit him into their roster. The Maple Leafs only have $2.2 million in current cap space but with $3.5 million on top of that figure belonging to players sitting on long-term injured reserve.

Second, the Leafs do not own a first-round pick in 2025, a major hurdle given St. Louis' reported demands.

"Toronto is seeing how high it can go at center," Elliotte Friedman wrote Thursday in his "32 Thoughts" column. "Won't be easy, and might not be able to shoot as high as a 2C, but the Leafs are looking. First-round picks matter, and they don't have one in June."

All of that said, Sportsnet's Justin Bourne expects the Leafs to include one of their top prospects in a deadline trade for a top-tier forward in a decision that might unlock the negotiations with the Blues for Schenn.