There were three certainties in this year’s Vancouver Canucks season: coaching controversies, goaltending controversies, and a Luke Schenn trade. Two down, one to – maybe – go.
What A Luke Schenn Trade Does
Luke Schenn is a stereotype. He is Reggie Dunlop. He is Bull Durham. He’s the guy who has been everywhere, done everything and is now trying to lead a rag-tag bunch of potential stars, has-beens, and never-weres into a cohesive team. His professional story could be hockey’s version of the Bad News Bears with less swearing.
But right now, he might be most valuable to the Canucks as a trade chip. But maybe he isn’t. Let’s dig in.
A Bit of History
Schenn was drafted from the Kelowna Rockets fifth overall in 2008 and dropped straight into the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. They promptly went from the 27th worst defence in the league (out of 30) to 30th. That was despite Schenn averaging over 21 minutes a night as a rookie. So… no pressure.
Toronto got no better, and they sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers straight up for James van Riemsdyk. JvR was a second-overall pick by the Flyers in 2007 who had disappointed, so… no pressure. The Flyers, while better than Toronto, weren’t much better, so Schenn was traded again. This time he was sent to the Los Angeles Kings along with Vincent Lecavalier, a former first-overall pick who was now a fourth-line player.
Schenn was the sweetener in the deal, so… you know. At this point, a Luke Schenn trade was nearly an annual event.
After that, it was free-agent signings and fighting to stay in the NHL before a mid-season trade to the Canucks. In Vancouver, he skated alongside their potential star rookie, Quinn Hughes. He served as a mentor and protector to a player the Canucks were relying on to bring the desperate team much-needed success. Yeah.
His Canucks career lasted all of 18 games. He signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a seventh defenceman and part-time player, won two Stanley Cups, and decided to come home to British Columbia. Now, with a rebuilt reputation, he may be as valuable as he’s ever been.
The Pros
Did I mention his value? Anyone wearing rings is going to be of some interest, though maybe not enough to inspire a trade. Schenn has done more than that, though, playing the role of that extra guy who is always ready perfectly. He’s lost a step at 33, but his game isn’t based on speed.
Even on a mediocre Vancouver Canucks team, he’s not a top-pair player. But he might be valued as one, though, and a Luke Schenn trade can bring back a solid future prospect. He’s a rental right now, and bad teams moving rental players is part of the ecosystem.
This is entirely about the return. If Schenn can bring in a draft pick in the top 100, that’s a fine deal for the Canucks. As a side – if unspoken – benefit, the Canucks will get worse without him. If this year is all about the draft, then that’s never a bad thing.
The Cons
Mostly, the “con” side is that he wants to stay. Now, normally that isn’t an issue for whether teams look to move their players – unless they have a difficult time attracting free agents. And, let’s face it, the Canucks have done themselves considerable amounts of damage on the PR front this year.
A Luke Schenn trade would come, for him personally, at the worst possible time. His wife’s due date is literally on trade deadline day, and obviously flying is out of the question for her before then. If he is moved, ideally it would be to a team that wanted him in his Lightning role and can wait a week before he arrives. But forcing him to leave is not a great look.
On the ice, Vancouver isn’t exactly swimming in right-side defencemen. Tucker Poolman‘s career may be over, and Travis Dermott – who can play the right side – is back on injured reserve. That leaves the team with Ethan Bear and Tyler Myers at the NHL level with 20+ games to go.
There are always thoughts of re-signing rentals when they leave, but in fact, that is a very rare occurrence. Vancouver has used him as a second-pair defenceman but sure hasn’t paid him like one. That’ll have to change if they want to lure him back, and another team may decide they want him more. That’s especially true if his ring count goes up.
It’s not like he can’t handle the pressure.
Main Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
