Luke Schenn just moved into his new place in Toronto and you'll never guess who his new neighbour is
Big things were expected out of Luke Schenn when he was drafted 5th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Schenn was the 3rd highest ranked North American skater behind only Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty, was ahead of Alex Pietrangelo, Tyler Myers, and even Erik Karlsson, yet didn't have the high scoring junior seasons one would have expected from a top-5 pick.
He was known for his size and defensive acumen rather than his offense as evidenced by his 57 points in 129 games to finish out his junior circuit with the Kelowna Rockets. He jumped in right away with the Maple Leafs ahead of the 2008-09 season and played in 4 seasons before being dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers for James van Riemsdyk. He finished his first pit stop with Toronto scoring 75 points in 310 games with 217 PIMs, 898 hits, and 514 blocks.
11 years later, Schenn has returned to Toronto a different man and a different player. He spent time in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Arizona, Anaheim, Vancouver, and Tampa Bay where he won 2 Stanley Cups and earned a reputation as a consistent, durable, and efficient depth defenseman that garnered a lot of interest ahead of the deadline.
He is stoked to be back in Toronto, happy to play for the team that drafted him and jumpstarted his career, and now given a better Leafs team, he is looking forward to the playoffs and their likely matchup against his former Lightning squad, and his new neighbour is someone he is very familiar with.
Moving back to Toronto, Schenn, quickly found out that his new neighbour was none other than Maple Leafs fan-favourite, Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle the first 12 years of his career in Toronto, where he recorded 437 assists and 520 points and became a staple on the backend for years on end.
"It's amazing, I moved into my new place to discover Tomas Kaberle is my neighbour! He was my first defence partner... when I was a rookie in 2008. Small world!"
Kaberle was at the peak of his career when Schenn arrived and with lofty expectations, he was immediately stationed alongside the Czech defender.
Small world, indeed that after 11 years and moving back to city you once called home, your neighbour is none other than a former teammate and partner.
