Schenn Arrives, but the Injury Report Isn't Done Yet

The Islanders landed Brayden Schenn at the trade deadline, acquiring the former Blues captain after Schenn reportedly blocked a move to Toronto before agreeing to come to New York. He slots in as the third center behind Bo Horvat, which is a reasonable place for a veteran of his standing at this stage of his career.

The timing is complicated, though. A former Avalanche first-round pick on the roster is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury, which means the forward depth that was already thin — this group was down to 12 healthy forwards just last week — takes another hit right as the new addition is supposed to provide stability.

Schenn is a known quantity: a long-tenured captain in St. Louis, a physical, two-way center who has been through playoff runs and hard minutes. He is not arriving to be a savior, and nobody should frame it that way. He is depth with a resume, and on a roster that has been calling Hamilton for reinforcements, that matters.

The next few weeks will tell more than the trade itself does. Maccelli is still working back, Ritchie is out, and now there's another name on the injury list. Schenn gives the Islanders a credible center option when the lineup sorts itself out. Getting to that point is the immediate problem.