I Miss Luke Schenn On the Toronto Maple Leafs Roster

Am I the only one who misses seeing Luke Schenn on the Toronto Maple Leafs? When Kyle Dubas acquired Schenn I was so excited and got an insane sense of nostalgia seeing him back in a Leafs uniform last season, and man what a time it was.

During his short but memorable return to the Toronto Maple Leafs, you could feel what he brought on the ice. He was physical, he was tough and he was genuinely a perfect fit on the team, especially on a pairing with Morgan Rielly. Schenn’s defensive style allowed Rielly to play into his strengths, which was moving up with the play and putting up points.

I feel with the slow start to this Leafs  season, especially on the defense, Schenn’s impact is missed incredibly.

When Schenn returned to the Leafs, he was way more mature as a player, he was more confident in what he did, and you could feel a sense of relief when Schenn had the puck in his own end, because you knew he was going to do the right thing.

I Miss Luke Schenn On the Toronto Maple Leafs Roster

Personally, I felt it was almost a certainty that Schenn would remain a Leaf. There was interest from both sides to keep him in Toronto , but he signed a three-year contract with the Nashville Predators this past offseason, getting a well-earned raise in the process.

It was honestly such a good thing to see Schenn getting a nice contract after eveything that he has gone through since he entered the league. He bounced around the league, even spending some time down in the AHL a few years back, so it was nice to see a success story from Schenn.

The reason I mainly miss Schenn so much is because of the hits, something this Leafs team desperately needs.  This offseason, Brad Treliving made it clear with the signings he made, that he was purely about making this Leafs team tough to play against, however, the players he brought in didn’t even come close to replacing the grit of the players that left.

Reaves was a healthy scratch in the Leafs contest against the Vancouver Canucks, and the way he has played this season, a stint in the AHL might not be out of the question.

Reaves just doesn’t look like he fits the Leafs system, but when Schenn was brought in last season, he worked so well in Keefe’s system to the point where he was one of the Leafs top defenders in the playoffs.

But thats all from me, I miss Luke Schenn and will continue to wish that the Leafs held on to the experienced veteran.