NHL Rumors: Karlsson, Hanifin request trades, Meier back with Devils
By Marvin Azrak
Luke Schenn unlikely to be resigned by Maple Leafs
Luke Schenn lived out his boyhood dream. He was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2023 trade deadline. He took part in their franchise’s first playoff series win since 2004. But it looks as if he’s about to be woken up.
Schenn and the Maple Leafs reportedly have not reached much common ground in contract negotiations. All signs point towards the 33-year-old defenseman playing for a new team in 2023-24.
Vancouver hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal provided an update on Schenn’s status during Friday’s episode of Donnie & Dhali – The Team on CHEK TV.
"“Luke Schenn and the Maple Leafs are not close, as I was told, to a contract,” Dhaliwal told co-host Don Taylor. “Keep an eye on him if he hits free agency. Let’s see if it happens.”"
Schenn has earned less than $1 million annually in his previous four contracts. The most recent was a two-year, $850,000 AAV deal he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021.
The Maple Leafs selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-2 righthander quickly leaped to the NHL from the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets.
He appeared in 310 games from 2009-2012 as a Leaf. He scored 14 goals, had 75 points, and became a staple in their top six. But in the 2012 offseason, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a one-on-one swap for left winger James Van Riemsdyk.
Schenn spent four seasons with the Flyers. But those were less productive than the ones in Toronto. Injuries limited him to 213 games. He scored 12 goals and had 42 points during that span. Can you guess what fashion he left? That’s right. Schenn was traded. During the 2015–16 season, Schenn appeared in 29 games for 5 points for the Flyers. Then he was dealt (alongside Vincent Lecavalier) to Los Angeles.
Schenn signed with the Arizona Coyotes that offseason for two years at $1.25 million AAV. After stints in the minor league systems of the Anaheim Ducks, and Vancouver Canucks, Schenn got his chance with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He opened coaches’ eyes with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL with his tenacity, hockey sense, and powerful shot. It earned him a spot on Tampa’s big club. He never looked back and proved to be a lockdown defenseman en route to back-back Stanley Cups. In the 2021 offseason, Schenn signed a two-year-$1.7 million contract with Vancouver. But this time was different. Schenn became a fan favorite.
This past season, he made NHL history.
Schenn set the benchmark for most hits by a defenseman. He broke Brooks Orpik’s record of 2,946. But with his contract expiring, the rebuilding Canucks did the honorable thing. They traded him back to where it all began. He was a Toronto Maple Leaf. But with the team’s cap crunch and Toronto needing money to lock up Auston Mathews and William Nylander, it looks like Schenn will be in a new uniform next season. But after describing his journey thus far, it shouldn’t be something that’ll stop him.
Through 933 games over 15 NHL seasons, Schenn has scored 42 goals and 191 points. He has three goals and seven points in the playoffs in 42 postseason games.
So up to this point, we’ve talked about moves that could happen. But there have been a few transactions that have already gone down. Let’s dive in.