Two NHL sources confirmed to me Friday night that the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues have been and are involved in “deep” trade talks. The surprising part of the talks is that they are not centered around Blues 27-year-old sniper Vladimir Tarasenko who became available last month when Blues general manager Doug Armstrong let it be known they were basically open for business on the trade market after an abysmal first two months of the season. Instead, these talks are revolving around Blues forward Brayden Schenn, who is also 27, would come at a cheaper price, with a cheaper cap hit and less term and could solve the Bruins second line scoring issues.

Schenn, a four-time 20-goal scorer is struggling this season with just seven goals and 15 assists. However, with his history, age, and just one more year left with a $5.1 million cap hit, he very well could be worth parting with some of the Bruins prospects and even roster players if need be. Those prospects or roster players wouldn’t be of the caliber you’d be paying for a Tarasenko, and the B’s wouldn’t be inheriting the four years with a $7.5 cap hit per season. Think the likes of Danton Heinen or Matt Grzelcyk as far as roster players go, or maybe Peter Cehlarik in Providence.

Schenn not only can play wing, but he can also play center and be a versatile player jumping up and down your top 9 if need be. In the opinion of this humble scribe, he would be a great fit in Bruce Cassidy’s system and just the type of player they’ve been coveting that also won’t break the bank. Nothing is for certain and they’re just talks, but it’s clear Bruins general manager Don Sweeney isn’t going to just wait until the February 25 trade deadline if he has anything to say about it.