The New York Islanders made a couple of unsuccessful runs at trades before Friday’s deadline, reportedly involving Vancouver’s Conor Garland and St. Louis’ Jordan Kyrou.

But with less than an hour to go, they did reach a deal with the Blues, reported by insider Elliotte Friedman: Brayden Schenn is joining the Islanders.

On the surface, there are surprising elements to this trade. The most notable is that Schenn is the Blues’ captain.

Now, though, he joins a team actually in playoff contention.

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Why did the Islanders-Blues make Brayden Schenn trade?

This is about Schenn getting to a contending roster.

The Blues weren’t benefiting from having him around at this point, at least relative to the chance to get assets in return for him that could be more helpful in the future. Schenn has two years left on his contract at $6.5 million per year.

It makes sense that the Islanders would want the 34-year old lefty center who has a Stanley Cup in his past.

New York has grown up quickly this season, but bringing aboard an experienced player like Schenn is a great move.

He’s played 61 games this season and has 12 goals and 16 assists. He also has 138 hits.

Schenn’s full NHL career (Blues, Flyers, Kings) has gone 17 seasons and 1,083 games. He has 290 goals and 423 assists (713 points). He also has 2,299 career hits.

Schenn is a winning player, and that’s exactly what the Islanders were seeking.

It may not be their highest-end target, but it’s a quality add.