Why the Leafs might be interested in trading for Luke Schenn
Plenty has changed since Luke Schenn last wore a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform.
Schenn’s reputation in Toronto began with a lot of hype when he made the NHL All-Rookie team as an 18-year-old in his first season. Taken fifth overall in 2008, he was drafted ahead of Erik Karlsson, John Carlson, and Roman Josi, with the trio eventually becoming three of the best defenders of their generation.
Schenn didn’t follow that same path.
Just four years after being drafted, Schenn was traded away to Philadelphia for James van Riemsdyk way back in 2012.
The trade was largely viewed as one of the most lopsided transactions in team history, as van Riemsdyk would score 154 goals over six seasons with the Leafs, while Schenn wavered through a less-than-spectacular tenure with the Flyers. Like Toronto, Philadelphia eventually gave up on Schenn, sending him to Los Angeles three-and-a-half years later in a multi-player deal.
Fast forward to 2022, and the once-maligned Schenn is still kicking it.
14 seasons, seven franchises, more than 800 games, and two Stanley Cup rings with the Tampa Bay Lightning later, Schenn’s carved out a very respectable career. It’s true that Schenn never became a star, as he didn’t quite live up to his potential as a top-pairing stud. But that doesn’t mean that the now 32-year-old veteran can’t still provide value to a competitive NHL roster.
It might not be time to dust off those old #2 jerseys yet, but a Schenn reunion in Toronto could make a fair bit of sense. With the Leafs reportedly interested in him per Rick Dhaliwal on the January 7 episode of the Donnie and Dhali show, a Schenn trade to Toronto could become a lovely full-circle moment.
Now in his second go-around in Vancouver, Schenn is playing a hair under 17 minutes a night for a middling Canucks squad.
Placed sixth in the Pacific Division, Vancouver has an outside shot at the playoffs, but more realistically, they project to be sellers over the next few months.
Schenn isn’t a worldbeater, but he’s still providing decent value to the Canucks.
His 127 hits lead the Canucks, while he’s also scored twice and added seven assists in his 31 games.
At a two-year deal making just $850,000, Schenn has become the prototype for the plug-and-play right-handed defenceman.
He’s seen time this season with Quinn Hughes more than anyone else, playing 232 minutes at 5v5 with the 2018 eighth overall pick.
Besides Hughes, Schenn’s bounced around throughout the lineup, playing 25 minutes or more with each of Tyler Myers, Brad Hunt, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Tucker Poolman.
Schenn isn’t the type of player where you’ll pull out a catch-all metric or even a specific stat that will impress you. This isn’t a player who will magically push the Leafs over the hump of finally winning their first playoff series in 18 years.
But a suitable extra defenceman to throw into the mix is exactly what Toronto could use. On aggregate, the Leafs’ defence has been quite solid, allowing the league’s seventh-lowest expected goals against rate in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick.
With an ongoing groin injury to Jake Muzzin, inconsistent play from Justin Holl, and just five games of combined playoff experience from Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin, there are still a few question marks surrounding Toronto’s defensive personnel, though.
Schenn wouldn’t even necessarily crack head coach Sheldon Keefe’s top-six options with a fully healthy Leafs roster, but at the very least, he’d give them flexibility and depth come playoff time.
If the Leafs are in fact in the market to add an extra defender, a player like Schenn could finally find the right fit in Toronto, nearly a decade and a half after they first took a chance on him.
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