Maple Leafs Right Not to Complete Trade for Blues' Brayden Schenn Amid NHL Rumors

Ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be interested in adding a piece or two to strengthen their postseason prospects and bring home their first Stanley Cup since 1967.

One player they will not be acquiring is St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn.

FanDuel Sports Network's Andy Strickland reported that, although the team was interested in the 33-year-old center, they have not been able to put together a the right package and as a result, are not expected to land him.

While it may be frustrating or disappointing for the Leafs fans who believe the team is one piece away from hoisting the most coveted prize in hockey, it is the right call for now and the future.

There is no denying the quality of player that Schenn is.

He has 272 career goals and 399 assists on a 13.4 career shooting percentage. He has also played a lot of hockey. He just surpassed 1000 NHL games and averages 17:30 of ice time per. He is reliable, too, having appeared in all 82 games the last two seasons.

Considering the toll it takes on his body and the fact that he is just one year younger than current Leaf John Tavares, the team's front office was right not to mortgage the future of the 16-year veteran.

TSN's Darren Dreger pointed to prospects Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan as potentially being part of any deal the Leafs would have looked to complete. Unless the organization knows for sure that either one is definitively not part of what the team wants to accomplish in the future, giving them up for a veteran with $19.5 million left on his contract seems like a potential misstep.

The fact that Schenn's goals are down (12 through 60 games) and his shooting percentage has dipped each of the last three years (11.3 from 21.6) only strengthens that argument.

Then there is the question of chemistry. The Leafs are second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Washington Capitals, and are playing as complete a game as they have in years. They look every bit like a team determined to get over the ghosts of playoffs past and compete for a conference title.

Introducing a new wrinkle into the equation like Schenn could potentially interrupt that chemistry as the team makes a final push toward the postseason.

Schenn is a difference-maker and can be of huge value to a contending team that needs a player of his experience on the ice and in the locker room. That team is not Toronto. At least not this year.