Welcome Matt: Canucks need to scratch Schenn ahead of trade deadline to avoid injury

Feb 16 2023, 9:14 pm

sekeres and price

Last night’s loss to the New York Rangers should be Luke Schenn’s final game as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

For this season, at least.

The Canucks defenceman is a pending unrestricted free agent and trade target, and shroud him bubble wrap and set him aside in the press box.

You saw Oliver Ekman-Larsson leave the game on what looked like an innocuous play.

We’ve already had an injury scare with Schenn last week, when he left the game and returned only to stand on the bench.

It’s an upper-body injury that forced him to miss the next game against the Islanders — he hasn’t looked the same since and has had two dreadful games in a row this week — and that should’ve been the end right there and then.

We’re talking about arguably the most physical defenceman in the league. He leads the NHL with 252 hits, and he’s out there blocking shots in the late stages of Wednesday’s loss against the Rangers.

No bueno. No mas.

The Canucks have six games left before the trade deadline, and if Schenn needs to miss all of them before a trade is consummated, so be it. The Canucks can call up and take a look at Jack Rathbone or play Kyle Burroughs in his Schenn’s stead.

The Coyotes are sitting out Jacob Chychrun. The Blue Jackets are sitting Valdislav Gavrikov. Neither is close to being dealt, those clubs are simply protecting their assets as wise managers do.

Schenn and his wife are due with a child and love it here in B.C.

So sit Schenn out. Let him spend time with family. And then make a deal for a second- or third-round pick and let him play again for his new team.

If he loves the Canucks and this province as much as he says he does, you can re-sign him this summer.

Matthew SekeresMatthew Sekeres

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