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Brayden Schenn getting over shock of being dealt by Flyers

Although he has "mixed emotions" about the deal, Brayden Schenn is excited to get a chance to play his natural position, center, for St. Louis.

Brayden Schenn.
Brayden Schenn.Read more(Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)

Brayden Schenn is just coming to terms with the deal that sent him from the Flyers to St. Louis on Friday night.

The deal happened late in the first round of the draft, when the Flyers acquired two first-round selections  —  one a conditional pick in 2018  —  and veteran center Jori Lehtera for the 25-year-old winger.

"I was shocked," Schenn said Sunday. "I wasn't really paying attention to picks 10 to 20, and then I got a text from my agent saying St. Louis was involved [in talks with the Flyers], but really nothing was imminent."

But 30 seconds later, Schenn said he received a call from Flyers general manager Ron Hextall.

"And, boom, it happened," he said. "I just talked to Hexy quickly."

Schenn became one of the Flyers' most dependable scorers, depositing 26 goals two years ago and 25 goals last season.

"I have mixed emotions," he said of the deal. "I spent six years in Philly and had an awesome time there. Great teammates and a great organization. But I'm excited to go to St. Louis and get a great opportunity."

With St. Louis, he is expected to move back to his natural position, center, and could be on the Blues' top line.

"They told me they'll give me an opportunity at center, so I'm excited," he said. "They have a lot of skilled forwards there, obviously, in [Vladimir] Tarasenko and [Jaden] Schwartz and  [Alex] Steen. The list goes on and on. They obviously have a great team and I'm looking forward to it. It's a great opportunity. I've been looking forward to playing center for the past little while, and if I get a chance to do that in St. Louis, I'm going to take it and run with it."

Schenn was dealt shortly after the Flyers drafted Nolan Patrick with the No. 2 overall pick. Schenn had become close with Patrick since the latter player was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings four years ago. In 2013, Kelly McCrimmon, who has been Brandon's coach and general manager and is its current owner, asked Schenn if he would call Patrick.

"I did that, and ever since then, I had contact with him, texting back and forth and stuff like that," said Schenn, a Brandon alumnus.  "Philly got a great player there. He did good things for the Wheat Kings organization, and he's a big, skilled righthanded centerman and a good guy."

Schenn was a first-round selection (fifth overall) of the Kings in 2009 and he was dealt to the Flyers with Wayne Simmonds in the blockbuster 2011 trade that sent Mike Richards to Los Angeles. He called the Flyers a "first-class organization. I have some good memories there and a bunch of good friendships."