Former Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Pick Is Now a Stanley Cup Champion

A former Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect will have his name on the Stanley Cup.

In the 2008 NHL draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected defenseman Luke Schenn with the fifth overall pick. At the time he was taken, Schenn was expected to be a huge part of the Leafs future and make an immediate impact at the NHL level.

During his time in Toronto, Schenn ultimately ended up being a bust as he never lived up to top draft pick potential. Schenn was never an offensive defenseman in his hockey career which the Leafs knew when selecting him. But he was known to be able to prevent opposing teams from getting scoring opportunities which he didn’t necessarily excel in at the professional level.

Four years spent with the Leafs resulted in just 14 goals and 75 points for Schenn but as better ways to measure success entered the picture, it turned out that traditional stay-at-home defenseman like Scheen were not very effective in the NHL.  Even using traditional stats showed that too many goals were scored when he was on the ice. The Leafs weren’t a great team when he was apart of it but he was supposed to help turn things around. He never did.

After four seasons, the Leafs shipped him to Philadelphia to be with his brother Brayden for James Van Riemsdyk. This trade ended up benefiting the Leafs as JVR got 294 points in six seasons in Toronto in which he played top six minutes.

Luke’s path to the Stanley Cup

Luke’s tenure in Philadelphia lasted three and-a-half seasons as he was shipped to the Los Angeles Kings. He then signed a two-year, $2.5 million to play for the Arizona Coyotes and once those two years came to an end, he signed with the Anaheim Ducks on a one year deal for $800,000.

He only lasted eight games with Ducks recording no points until he was placed on waivers and reassigned to their AHL team the San Diego Gulls. He was then traded to the Vancouver Canucks where he spent time with their AHL affiliate in the Utica Comets but also appeared in eight games at the NHL level.

This past offseason, he signed a one year contract worth the league minimum ($700,000) with the Tampa Bay Lightning. This season, he spent time in the AHL but also appeared in 25 games during the regular season where he recorded three points, a goal and two assists. In the playoffs, he appeared in 11 games where he assisted on two goals while blocking 18 shots and recording 34 hits.

While he was not a big member of the team, he contributed to the Lightning’s Stanley Cup run and will ultimately be rewarded with a ring and his name entrenched on Lord Stanley.

It’s ironic that Schenn won a Stanley Cup before the Toronto Maple Leafs have since he’s been in the league when he was supposed to be a key piece on a consistent contending Maple Leafs team.