Where is Luke Schenn??

For the past three games, two wins over Washington and Ottawa and a disappointing loss to Phoenix, sophomore d-man Luke Schenn has been sitting in the press box. Coach Ron Wilson made it clear his absence from the lineup is not injury-related when asked about it this week. “It’s not just about Luke, it’s about me looking into Jeff Finger’s eyes and saying ‘Jeff, you’re not playing tonight’…or Garnet Exelby for that matter.”

I’m fine with that – Finger’s been scratched for 11 games already, and Exelby’s been scratched for 15 – both are veteran defensemen who know the game, and deserve to play. I think the biggest problem with Schenn is the fact that after a stellar rookie season, the Leafs opted to make him one of the faces of the franchise. In doing so, they dramatically increased the already-mounting pressure that inevitably grows on a rising star in this league. “I like to think that as best we can we do keep the same rules for everybody and hold as many players accountable in that sense,” said Wilson. “Taking a 20-year-old out of the lineup shouldn’t be made into the big deal that it is. … We’re talking about a 20-year-old kid who we’ve allowed to put too much pressure on and expectations are different.”

Wilson is right – taking a 20 year old hockey player out of the lineup for a couple of games should not be a major news item. But when that 20 year old has had his face plastered all over Toronto as one of the key members of a team desperately searching for a new identity, it is a big deal. Schenn has been under intense scrutiny since the beginning of the season, when he was putting up sub-par numbers (0 goals, 2 assists and -6 midway through November). Personally, I felt that Luke was finally turning the corner and coming out of an early sophomore slump at the right time, improving his +/- rating back to even numbers, and drastically improving his physical play. (just ask Jon Sim)

Schenn recorded positive +/- ratings in 7 of the last 9 games he played in. While it’s not the most revealing statistic regarding an individual’s level of play, for a defender like Luke that doesn’t really contribute offensively and sees more ice time killing penalties than chipping in on the powerplay, it’s really one of the only indicators on paper that can be used to measure his effectiveness.

We all know Wilson is a firm believer in sticking with what works – and with Schenn out of the lineup, the Leafs pulled out two big wins over Washington and Ottawa. I thought Schenn would have been a better choice than Exelby to play against Phoenix last night, but Garnet had 2 points and played very well against Ottawa on Monday, so again, I understand Wilson’s thought process. However, after the loss to the Coyotes, I think Schenn will be back in the lineup on Friday in Buffalo.