Brayden Schenn said he has waived his no-trade clause to accept a deal to the New York Islanders from the St. Louis Blues. 
Speaking on TSN on Friday, the center, who has been the Blues captain the past three seasons, said he understood the Blues “wanted to go in a different direction.”
“[The Blues] were sitting in 30th/31st place in the League,” Schenn said. “They want to go younger and rebuild a different way. You’re one of the guys who got called to ask to waive or get to move. That’s kind of how it all shook out.”
The Blues and Islanders have not yet announced what else was involved in the trade.
“When you look at the team, they’re built with a solid goalie and a lot of good pieces with Matthew Schaefer, Barzal, Horvat, the list goes on and on,” Schenn said of the Islanders. “It’s a great place to play. A lot of guys enjoy playing there and living there.”
Schenn has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games for the St. Louis Blues this season. He is in the sixth year of an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Blues on Oct. 24, 2019, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2027-28 season.
The No. 5 pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL Draft, Schenn has 713 points (290 goals, 423 assists) in 1,083 regular-season games for the Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Blues and 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Schenn, who was captain of the Blues for the past three seasons, helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2019.
The Islanders (35-23-5) are tied for second in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of the fourth-place Columbus Blue Jackets. New York next plays at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSCA).
Schenn said he didn’t have to move far when he found out about the trade since the Blues and Islanders are staying in the same hotel in San Jose.
The Blues play at the Sharks on Friday and the Islanders are there on Saturday.
“Kind of a crazy morning,” Schenn said. “I heard of it, talked to family and friends, and then got to meet (Islanders coach) Patrick Roy and (general manager) Mathieu Darche. I met them on a different floor; kind of went back and forth. Playing in San Jose here with the Islanders (on Saturday) and then a few days later in St. Louis (on Tuesday). … Still in the same (hotel) room.”
He said the days leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on Friday were tough since he knew he could be on the move.
“Leading up to the deadline, with all the rumors and where we’re at, you think about it quite a bit. It’s a great place with a great organization and good team. I think what people don’t realize about it is the human element of it,” Schenn said. “As you get older, guys have families. There’s all that part of it that comes with pro sports, but we know what we sign up for. It’s emotional.
“St. Louis was a great spot for me; probably the best thing to happen in hockey for me up until this date. Playing with just a bunch of good, solid people; great community, city, and won the Stanley Cup there. It’s been a special place for me and my family. Going to miss St. Louis, but excited for the next chapter.”
The Blues (23-29-9) are 14th in the Western Conference, 12 points behind the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card. They visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, NBCSCA).
