Market Spotlight: The center market is thin, and that is great news for Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly.
As Anthony DiMarco pointed out on TSN Radio in Montreal, Schenn has been in the St. Louis Blues rumor mill going back to last season, yet his name is gaining traction again with the team stuck near the bottom of the standings.
With so few quality centers available, DiMarco believes Schenn should command more than O’Reilly, even if the Nashville Predators try to squeeze every asset they can Jersey out of their veteran two way pivot. For contenders that missed out on upgrades down the middle in free agency, the trade deadline may turn into a bidding war.
Brayden Schenn trade value vs. Ryan O’Reilly in a thin market
Schenn’s value comes from the full package. He can play tough minutes, chip in offense, kill penalties and still throw his weight around. Even at 34 years old, he is heating up again after a slow start, with recent multi point nights.
That profile has naturally sparked debate in Montreal about whether the Montreal Canadiens should target him as a stabilizing middle six center and veteran mentor for a young core. The concern, of course, is the contract. Schenn carries a 6.5 million dollar cap hit through 2027 28, which is a serious commitment for a team that is not ready to contend yet unless the Blues are willing to retain money.
O’Reilly, meanwhile, is being linked heavily to the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, and he fits a very specific need. New Jersey’s lack of true center depth behind Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier has been exposed whenever injuries hit, and adding O’Reilly would instantly give them a third line center who can take defensive pressure off Hischier and help on a slipping penalty kill.
In Colorado, he is viewed as the ideal upgrade on Jack Drury in the bottom six for a team already sitting near the top of the league standings. With one more year after this at a 4.5 million dollar cap hit and no formal trade protection, O’Reilly is the easier cap fit and still produces at a strong two way level, even if his prime years are behind him.
Which teams will pay the premium for center help?
DiMarco’s read is that Schenn should cost more on pure value, but the Predators may actually demand a bigger return for O’Reilly because of how they operate and the promise from Barry Trotz that they would treat him like he has trade protection.
That means clubs like the Devils and Avalanche will have to decide how far they are willing to go for an older center who still drives play but is Jersey closer to the end than the beginning.
On the Schenn side, the Canadiens look like a natural fit on paper, but his term and cap hit complicate things unless the Blues retain or take back money. For St. Louis, moving Schenn could mark the start of a deeper reset around Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and their next wave of prospects, especially if they also explore moves involving veterans such as Colton Parayko or Cam Fowler.
In a year where the free agent center class already failed to solve many teams’ problems, the trade market is shaping up as the Jersey only real path to upgrade down the middle. That scarcity is exactly why both Brayden Schenn and Ryan O’Reilly might fetch more than their age and contracts would usually suggest.
