Several NHL insiders are reporting Canucks veteran Luke Schenn has been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The defenceman is returning to Toronto, where he began his career, after spending the majority of two seasons with the Canucks. He also spent part of the 2018-19 season with the Canucks, before joining the Tampa Bay Lightning on their way to two Stanley Cups.
In return, the Canucks are getting a 2023 third-round pick, according to Frank Seravalli, with the Daily Faceoff.
The Leafs picked Schenn fifth overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, hoping he would be a key foundational piece for their rebuild. Now he returns as a veteran leader after a subsequent attempt at a rebuild has led to the Leafs repeatedly making the playoffs only to lose in the first round every time.
Schenn brings Cup credibility to the Leafs, even if he only played a depth role in the Lightnings' two Stanley Cups. He also brings a physical element that the Leafs likely believe they need. He leads the NHL in hits this season with 258 and became the NHL's all-time leader in hits by a defenceman this season.
The other elements of Schenn's game are more limited but he knows his own weaknesses and plays to his strengths. He was able to add some scoring to his palette this season with the Canucks, putting up 21 points in 55 games, one point short of his career high.
While the Canucks were aiming for a better return for Schenn, either by himself or by packaging him up in another trade, a third-round pick is reasonable value for a depth defenceman, especially given the other options available on the trade market.
With the addition of the third-round pick from the Leafs, the Canucks now have seven draft picks in the first four rounds of the 2023 draft: their own first, second, third, and fourth-round picks, as well as the New York Islanders' first-round pick from the Bo Horvat trade, the Leafs' third-round pick, and the New York Rangers' fourth-round pick from the Tyler Motte trade. The Islanders' pick could roll over to the 2024 draft if it ends up being a top-12 pick.
With some irony, the featured player for the month of March on the Canucks' popular player-and-pet calendar is Schenn and his Bernedoodle Griffey. Fans of the Canucks will spend the entire month looking at a player no longer on the team.
The NHL trade deadline is March 3; the Canucks have made a few moves as the date approaches and more are being discussed.
