Game Preview: Islanders In St. Louis To Battle Blues For First Time Since Brayden Schenn–Jonathan Drouin Trade
Here's the latest ahead of Islanders vs. St. Louis Blues.
The New York Islanders (35-21-5) battle the St. Louis Blues (25-29-4) tonight at 7:30 PM. This is the first time these two have met since the two sides came together ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
The Blues acquired forward Jonathan Drouin, the Colorado Avalanche’s 2026 first-round pick, and the New Jersey Devils’ third-round pick in exchange for St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn.
The Islanders are coming off a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks to snap a two-game slide. Drouin scored a power-play goal in a 4-0 shutout win over the Anaheim Ducks for their fourth straight victory.
Ilya Sorokin (23-14-2, 2.50 GAA, .914 SV%, 6 SO) will get the start against Joel Hofer (16-11-3, 2.69 GAA, .903 SV%, 5 SO). Hofer is 4-0-0 while posting a 1.00 GAA and .962 SV% since the Olympic break.
Anthony Duclair will play in his second straight game after sitting for five of the last six games, skating. onthe fourth line in Kyle MacLean’s spot on the left of Casey Cizikas.
Here’s the lineup:
Emil Heineman— Bo Horvat — Mathew Barzal
Ondrej Palat — Brayden Schenn — Cal Ritchie
Anders Lee — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Simon Holmstrom
Anthony Duclair — Casey Cizikas — Marc Gatcomb
Matthew Schaefer — Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech — Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy — Ryan Pulock
Ilya Sorokin
David Rittich
SCHENN ON RETURNING
Interview courtesy of the New York Islanders
Q: Earlier you talked about the moment of getting traded and coming back into the building you’re so used to. You said you noticed it yesterday at practice. Just take us through your emotions.
Schenn: “It’s weird. You don’t think it’s going to happen that fast when you get traded. Everything just comes quickly. A couple of my former teammates came over yesterday and were playing mini-sticks with my kids, and now I’m facing them tonight. The reality is it’s going to be different for sure, but I’ve got a job to do, and I have to play those guys hard.”
Q: When you reflect back on your nine seasons with the Blues, what are the things you’ll take with you for the rest of your career?
Schenn: “Where do I start? First and foremost, it’s an incredible place to play. The organization, the people, my teammates — I made a lot of good friends, not just from this team but from my whole time here. The fans and the community are extremely special. They’re always there to help you and cheer you on. It was just a great place to play night after night.”
Q: You’ve seen so many guys come back to St. Louis and get that moment with the fans when they play a tribute. What do you think that will be like for you?
Schenn: “I hope to get a good reception. The fans were so good to me when I was here. I tried to come in every night and play the right way — play for the guys who have worn the jersey before me. It’s an organization with a long history and a lot of great players, and you feel like you owe it to them to go out there and give a solid effort every night when you wear the Blue Note. I’ve had a lot of people in the organization and the community help me along the way.”
Q: How tough was the decision to waive your clause this year after not doing it last year?
Schenn: “Last year, we had good momentum going into the playoffs, and I just wasn’t ready. We ended up making the playoffs, and it worked out that way. Coming into this year, I don’t think anyone thought the Blues would be where they were for most of the season. They’ve been playing better hockey lately, but when you get asked two times in two years, the second time makes the decision easier.
It wasn’t because I didn’t love the organization or the city. It was more than they felt like they needed to go in a different direction, and Justin Faulk and I were the guys out this year. That’s just the reality of the business. No hard feelings.
I’m happy to be part of the Islanders organization. It’s honestly been unbelievable in the short amount of time I’ve been here. The guys have been extremely welcoming, and everyone around the organization has helped me out as much as they can. It’s not an easy transition moving midseason with three kids and everything else, but the people around me have made the transition as easy as possible.”
Q: Patrick Roy mentioned you’ve started mentoring Cal Ritchie. Is that something that just comes naturally for you with younger players?
Schenn: “When I was young, I had a lot of guys look after me — Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Kimmo Timonen, the list goes on. When I came to St. Louis, I had a lot of guys in my corner helping me out, too.
When you’re young in this league, you need help. It’s a man’s game, and it comes at you fast. When I got to St. Louis, I felt like I owed it to the next guy. Jake Neighbours lived at my place, Jimmy Snuggerud lived at my place. You help the young guys as much as they want help.
You don’t have to be in their ear every day, but if they ask questions, you’re there to listen and give advice. I don’t think that job stops now. Playing with Cal, he’s extremely talented. He’s a high pick with a lot of skill. You can tell he’s just getting his feet wet in the NHL, and there’s a lot of untapped potential there.”
Q: Is there anything you do mentally preparing for a moment like this — walking out onto the ice here as a visitor?
Schenn: “There’s not much you can do. It’s been a crazy four or five days with everything going on and not much sleep. Coming in here yesterday felt strange.
I’m actually staying tonight after the game because we have two days off. Driving my own car to Enterprise Center as an opposing player is something you’d never expect. If this were a month down the road, it might be different, but everything happened so fast. My family and everyone are still here, so it’s kind of a weird experience living life like a Blue while technically being an opposing player.”
Q: What did it mean to you to wear the captain’s ‘C’ in St. Louis?
Schenn: “It’s a tremendous honor. If you look in the Blues locker room at the list on that wall, you don’t take those names lightly. There are Hall of Fame players on that list and guys who had incredible careers. When you leave the game, you want your teammates to remember you not just as a player. No one really remembers the goals and assists — it’s how you were off the ice. Relationships last forever. My mentality has always been to be a good person, take care of people, and people will take care of you.”
Q: Was it strange being on the visitors’ side of the facility and locker room?
Schenn: “Yeah, I haven’t done it in a long time. Even when I was with Philly, I didn’t come in here that often. I haven’t really stepped foot in the opposing locker room before. Even yesterday in practice, sitting on the opposite bench during drills, everything just felt backwards compared to what I’m used to. It’s definitely different. It’ll probably be emotional and weird tonight, but it’s one of those things you just want to get through.”
Q: Have you spoken with Jonathan Drouin since the trade?
Schenn: “Yeah. When I was in San Jose, we were actually staying at the same hotel. I was leaving the meal room with the Blues when he walked in. We stopped and talked for a bit. It’s a pretty bizarre situation when two guys essentially get traded for each other.'
He’s a great guy. I know he wasn’t here long in New York, but guys speak extremely highly of him and the impact he had on the locker room.”
Q: What did it mean to be so quickly welcomed into the Islanders’ leadership group and traditions?
Schenn: “I think it speaks volumes about the players and the culture they’ve built here. You can see right away how welcoming everyone is.
Guys like Bo Horvat and Anders Lee — the leaders of this team — are doing everything they can to make you feel comfortable. They’ve done a really good job of that.”
Q: How excited are you for the playoff push?
Schenn: “That’s what it’s all about. Any NHL player will tell you it’s about competing and striving for the same goal — getting to the playoffs. Once you’re in the playoffs, it’s the best time of year. Everyone in the hockey world is watching, the fan bases are involved, and it’s the most competitive hockey you’ll play.”
