3 Toronto Maple Leafs Who Have Not Earned Playoff Ice Time
By James Tanner
Luke Schenn Has Not Earned Playoff Ice-Time
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a major error when they traded a 3rd round pick for AHL quality player Luke Schenn. Sheldon Keefe has tried him all over the lineup, and the results are indisputable: he isn’t good.
Unfortunately, Schenn is the type of player old-school types love, and those are the kinds of people who are the most vocal online. They love to use all caps and tell you that if you don’t love Luke Schenn, you must just not understand hockey.
The people who un-ironically use the phrase “hockey knowledge,” love to insult you if you do the unspeakable and point out that by every way we have to measure a hockey player, he is not good.
In 12 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs Luke Schenn has a 45% Corsi, which means that the other team has the puck for 55% of the time he’s on the ice. Sure, he can box out with the best of them, and he can throw big hits, but if he is on the ice, the other team has the puck significantly more.
That is not good.
The other team gets more shots, chances, and goals when Luke Schenn is on the ice. People think he plays “playoff hockey” but the hits are useless if you lose your minutes. Without him on the roster, the Leafs beat Tampa last year, just not the refs.
Schenn is more likely to hurt you by taking a penalty than he is to help you with a big hit or by playing playoff hockey. He’s a popular player and I get that, I like him too. He just isn’t good enough to be in the top six of a contender, at least not any more.
And pairing him with Morgan Rielly is just ridiculous.
Luke Schenn loses his minutes, while for two years Timothy Liljegren wins his. It doesn’t matter how you do it, the result is what matters, and despite not hitting, Lijegren helps the Toronto Maple leafs win.
Luke Schenn’s most popular partner this year was Quinn Hughes. When they played together, they posted a 45% possession rating. Without Schenn, Hughes posts a 56% rating, and the Canucks have suddenly been winning games. Could it be that their best defenseman now has a competent NHL Level partner?
Can it possibly be a coincidence that Morgan Rielly is a 44% possession player with Schenn and a 55% player without him? I doubt it. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects. dark
In conclusion, the Leafs have a ton of depth and should use it to create the best possible lineup. That lineup does not include Sam Lafferty, Zach Aston-Reese or Luke Schenn.