Vancouver Canucks’ Luke Schenn a high-floor Trade Deadline target

Credit: © Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

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With less than five weeks until the NHL’s trade deadline on March 3, we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with one trade-focused story every day until Deadline Day.

Today we’re going to focus on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn, who was ranked No. 11 on our latest Trade Targets board.

2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 34 days

LUKE SCHENN
Right Defense, Vancouver Canucks
Shoots: Right
Age: 33
Height: 6’2″ | Weight: 226 lbs.
Cap Hit: $850,000
Term: Pending UFA
Stats: 49 GP, 2 goals, 14 assists, 16 points, 17:09 avg TOI
Career: 15th season (Toronto, Phila, L.A., Ariz., Tampa, Van.) 912 GP, 40 goals, 185 points, 17:39 avg TOI

Archetype and Ideal Role

Shutdown Defenseman, 3rd Pair

The two-time Stanley Cup champion brings bite, penalty killing prowess, and the know-how for a deep run in the playoffs. Ideally, he is slotted on a third pair where he can contribute to the second unit penalty kill.

Scouting Report

Heads up! The big rig Schenn is one of, if not the most, physical defenders in the league. Since the statistic began being tracked by the NHL, no defenseman has totaled more career hits than Schenn’s 3,077. He hits and he hits hard. If you’re an opposing forward and you find yourself in his sights, he can line you up and finish you with purpose.

Schenn is also long and he uses his reach to make it tough on forwards to get around him, and his stick helps make up for his relative lack of mobility compared to other defenseman. No surprise that like most physical defensemen, Schenn is also willing to sacrifice his body to eat a shot or take a hit to advance the puck.

There is also an intangible factor that Schenn brings to the dressing room that makes him a valuable addition. He has earned the reputation of being a great teammate, able to leverage his experience being everything from a lottery draft pick in a big market to being waived and rejuvenating his game in the AHL and pass that onto teammates in need of support. In addition, at Schenn’s cap hit just above league minimum, there isn’t a team in the NHL who cannot afford to add him.

Buyer Beware

Schenn has reinvented his game over the past couple of years with the help of individual skills coach Adam Oates, but there are still deficiencies in his game. Teams have pointed out that because of his physical nature, he can lock onto a target in the neutral zone and will dive in to finish a hit. When he connects, the hit is thunderous, but when he misses, the result is an odd-man rush.

He also doesn’t have a quick first three steps or the best lateral mobility to close and kill plays, so he relies on that length to delay offense and then looks to finish attackers with a big hit. That style also causes him to take a decent number of penalties. Schenn has been whistled for the 14th-most minor penalties (22) in the league this season. That can become a damaging trend as teams advance further into the playoffs.

Schenn’s puck play is very simple, which is a nod to his self-awareness and game, but he can turn it over under forecheck pressure. Any acquiring team would be wise to pair him with a puck mover where he can help hold down the fort.

Potential Fits

Boston Bruins: If the Bruins are indeed in on Bo Horvat, as expected, and Brandon Carlo is going the other way – then the Bruins would do well to add Schenn to their back-end and pair him up with a mobile puck mover like Matt Grzelcyk on the third pair.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild have struggled of late, searching for answers as they attempt to get back into the right side of the playoff picture. They’re weighing how to approach pending UFA Matt Dumba at the trade deadline. Dumba is also a right-shot and there may be an opening there on Minnesota’s blue line.
Calgary Flames: It’s probably a pretty safe bet that coach Darryl Sutter covets a player like Schenn. Physical? Check. Blocks Shots? Check. Western Canadian? You’ve just hit the trifecta.
Dallas Stars: The Stars are on the hunt for a scoring addition to their top six. But they are also potentially in the market for a depth addition on their blue line and could do well to add someone with Schenn’s experience. Tyler Seguin is their only player on the roster with a Cup on his resume.
Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning know Schenn well from his two years in Tampa, where he helped the Bolts to two straight Stanley Cups. Tampa doesn’t have a lot of assets to make moves this season, so if they’re interested in bolstering their defensive depth, perhaps a reunion is in order.
Vegas Golden Knights: Schenn isn’t the type of big name we usually associate with the Golden Knights, but chasing a Stanley Cup isn’t always about the glitz and glamor. They’ve been banged up on the back-end and could use a little extra protection on the right side.

Comparable Trade Returns

March 21, 2022
To New York Rangers: Justin Braun
To Philadelphia: 2023 3rd Round Pick

April 21, 2021
To Carolina: Jani Hakanpaa, 2022 6th Round Pick (Jakub Vondras)
To Anaheim: Haydn Fleury

There is word that the Canucks turned down a second-round pick for Schenn last season, but he also had one more year remaining on his deal at just above the league minimum. Now as a pending free agent, the price may be slightly lower and Braun is a decent comparable from last season. The comparable to Hakanpaa was added to point out that Vancouver is also looking for young, NHL-ready roster players in trades – and although that one isn’t apples-to-apples because Fleury needed to be protected in the Expansion Draft and that must be considered – it adds some food for thought.

Summary

There is plenty of room for a player like Schenn on a Stanley Cup-winning roster. He is a perfect fit on a deep team where he can be paired with a puck-mover because you can never have too many defensemen in the postseason.