LUKE SCHENN - Defenseman - 29 - $.700MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2020-2021
LAST UPDATED 8/20/19
Luke Schenn was a junior star in the WHL, logging big minutes for the defenseman factory that is the Kelowna Rockets, and looked to be a physical, polished, potential minute-eating defenseman at the NHL. A talent-deprived Maple Leafs team put him in the NHL as a teenager and his development went completely off the rails. Schenn was simply not prepared for the speed and toughness of the NHL game, and while he still brought his trademark physicality he simply could not keep up with the NHL game and had his confidence deeply hurt as a result. His development stalled from that point on, and while Toronto did a good job in getting James Van Riemsdyk in return for Schenn, he still was a huge mistake for the team. Going forward, Schenn continued to struggle. He was a physical defenseman, as always, but his skills were largely replaceable and he never made a true defensive impact. Schenn has now found himself bouncing from team to team, and while I still think he has some organizational value, it's quite limited. Schenn won't bring much offense, he can't move the puck very well and lacks puck skills. Defensively, Schenn is the kind of player who makes hits instead of checks, and sometimes forgoes the sound defensive play in order to be the most physical defenseman on the ice. He struggles in defensive zone coverage and is a below-average penalty killer. There are worse defensemen to trot out on a nightly basis, but I struggle to call him a true bottom-pairing #5 defenseman. Instead, he's most valuable when he's in the lineup only sometimes, providing sporadic physical value against more imposing opponents. As a veteran #7, he can probably help a team, but that's the absolute ceiling of his upside.
Luke Schenn was a junior star in the WHL, logging big minutes for the defenseman factory that is the Kelowna Rockets, and looked to be a physical, polished, potential minute-eating defenseman at the NHL. A talent-deprived Maple Leafs team put him in the NHL as a teenager and his development went completely off the rails. Schenn was simply not prepared for the speed and toughness of the NHL game, and while he still brought his trademark physicality he simply could not keep up with the NHL game and had his confidence deeply hurt as a result. His development stalled from that point on, and while Toronto did a good job in getting James Van Riemsdyk in return for Schenn, he still was a huge mistake for the team. Going forward, Schenn continued to struggle. He was a physical defenseman, as always, but his skills were largely replaceable and he never made a true defensive impact. Schenn has now found himself bouncing from team to team, and while I still think he has some organizational value, it's quite limited. Schenn won't bring much offense, he can't move the puck very well and lacks puck skills. Defensively, Schenn is the kind of player who makes hits instead of checks, and sometimes forgoes the sound defensive play in order to be the most physical defenseman on the ice. He struggles in defensive zone coverage and is a below-average penalty killer. There are worse defensemen to trot out on a nightly basis, but I struggle to call him a true bottom-pairing #5 defenseman. Instead, he's most valuable when he's in the lineup only sometimes, providing sporadic physical value against more imposing opponents. As a veteran #7, he can probably help a team, but that's the absolute ceiling of his upside.
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