Vancouver Canucks: Why they should keep Luke Schenn
Vancouver Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn has been through it all and at 29, he’s a perfect resign candidate.
The Vancouver Canucks have once again been hit by the injury bug aplenty this season, forcing the team to test it’s depth.
This forced general manager Jim Benning to make trades throughout the season, in order to bring more depth. This included a trade with Pacific Division rival Anaheim Ducks, where the Canucks acquired Luke Schenn for Michael Del Zotto and a seventh-round pick in 2020.
The trade wasn’t a blockbuster by any means, but with injuries to Chris Tanev and Erik Gudbranson, the team was down to only Troy Stecher and Alex Biega on the right side. Enter Schenn, who had started the season with the Ducks before getting demoted to their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls. He was hungry to get another chance in the NHL at the age of 29, and with the Ducks healthy on the right side, it opened up the opportunity for Schenn to get a fresh start.
Schenn was drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2008, there were some extremely lofty expectations once he arrived.
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But Schenn wasn’t able to live up to the hype, and he was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for James van Riemsdyk. Schenn was a sound and reliable defenceman, though nothing spectacular, either.
He was then moved to the Los Angeles Kings in a salary cap dump as the Flyers were ridding themselves of Vincent Lecavalier and his horrible contract. While in Los Angeles, he was used sparingly but managed to rack up 11 points in 43 games and have a plus-five rating.
Schenn then joined the Arizona Coyotes for two years and struggled a bit offensively, totalling just 15 points in 142 games there.
He went to Anaheim, hoping that playing in California would bring out the good level of hockey he played while in Los Angeles. But he never got a real shot after being dressed for eight games, and Schenn was waived and stashed in San Diego.
The Canucks gave Schenn a chance, and he has proved he can still play in the NHL and is making that Gudbranson trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins look even better. He has played well with Ashton Sautner and has done everything the team has asked of him.
Schenn hits, blocks shots, can skate well for a guy his size and can make a nice outlet pass to the forwards. He won’t command a major salary this summer, and with the need for depth and a big body on the blueline, Benning should offer Schenn a one or two-year deal this summer.
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It gives Schenn a chance to make the team next season. If he doesn’t, Schenn can at least help the young players on the Utica Comets, and it never hurts for an organization to have too much depth. Let me know in the comments below if you would give Schenn an extension.