Former Leaf talks about his time in Toronto and reveals how he feels about their chances of winning a Cup
Luke Schenn is part of a rare group of hockey players that has gotten better with age and a lot better since he turned 30 years old. The physical, defensive defenseman, now 33, struggled for a brief period of time between 2015-16 to 2020-21 until he was able to revive his career, which in turn, earned him a 3-year pact with Nashville this summer.
From 2015-16 to 2019-20, Schenn had spent time in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim, Vancouver and Tampa Bay. Schenn was losing his footing in the league, which explains his 2018-19 season, which was primarily spent in the AHL as he played for Anaheim's affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks that same season, but was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
After a brief stint with the Canucks, Schenn signed with Tampa Bay the following summer in 2019 but was once again placed on waivers and assigned to the minors - this time due to salary cap restraints. He didn't last in Syracuse for too long as he earned himself a call-up and remained on the team for the rest of the season and for parts of 2020-21, where he won 2 Stanley Cups.
His hard work did not go unnoticed as Schenn became a focal point in his return to Vancouver in 2021-22 and 2022-23, before being traded to Toronto at last year's deadline. His game had changed so much over the years and everyone started to take notice. He would work on his puck skills during practice, after practice, and that's what truly helped in his revival.
The one thing I notice about NHL practices is you could go through four practices in a row as a defenseman and not even touch the puck. And then all of a sudden you get into a game situation and you're supposed to make plays under pressure. So then I was like, well, the only way to figure this out is before and after practice (to) keep getting puck touches in. So that's what I think has helped. And then in the summer, create a bit of a routine that is good."
By the time he returned back to Toronto, Schenn was a lot more polished and in control. Working and playing with Quinn Hughes helped him achieve greater heights and he instantly became a hot commodity ahead of the trade deadline. His confidence had returned and we saw that on full display during the playoffs.
On his second stint with the Leafs, filled with confidence and a much different player this time around:
From a veteran who has been around the league for quite some time, as well as a two-time champion, he sees what the Leafs have going for them and is a big believer in their chances moving forward. That has to count for something:
Auston Matthews is a total pro. Mitch Marner, I know he takes heat at times, but he puts up 100 points, plays at both ends. I'd put him on my team all day. He's an unbelievable guy. Morgan Rielly, he's a true No. 1 [defenseman]. You've got (William) Nylander. You've got John Tavares. He's a great captain and puts in the work; like, it's an unmatched sort of thing. So they got all the right pieces and they've got some good depth guys, too. It's obviously a tough market, but the guys in the room, they want it more or as much as anyone in the league. They obviously have a great group of guys there, and I was impressed with the culture that they've built there since my first go around."
The Leafs were reportedly interested in bringing Schenn back all summer, but unfortunately for Brad Treliving and company, Nashville presented him with a better offer for more years and at a higher AAV. For a player in Schenn's position and at his age, you certainly can't turn down the type of contract he was offered by the Preds.
In the end, Schenn was very grateful for the time he was able to spend in Toronto on his second tour, and was very complementary of the group the Leafs have build under Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas. Now, we'll just have to wait and see whether Schenn is right about the Leafs getting over that hump.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 16 | 247 ANSWERS Former Leaf talks about his time in Toronto and reveals how he feels about their chances of winning a Cup Should the Leafs have given Luke Schenn the same contract that Nashville offered him ($2.75M x3)? | ||
| No way | 75 | 30.4 % |
| Yes, Schenner was a solid fit here | 133 | 53.8 % |
| It's better than the Klingberg deal | 39 | 15.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
