The four-year contract extension Toronto defenceman John-Michael Liles signed on Wednesday doesn’t automatically spell the beginning of the end of Luke Schenn’s career with the Maple Leafs, but it doesn’t exactly solidify the young blueliner’s future with the team, either.
When you consider the logjam on the Leafs’ blue-line, you can see a scenario in which Schenn – not too long ago, the key component of Toronto’s defence corps – is traded by general manager Brian Burke to improve the franchise’s still-in-need-of-work group of forwards. In fact, I’d say he’s the leading candidate to be moved at this point.
When Schenn was drafted fifth overall in 2008, he was pegged as an Adam Foote type. A steady, stay-at-home player who had the leadership potential to one day be the Leafs’ captain.
Unfortunately for him, Burke committed larceny on the Calgary Flames and brought in two defencemen in Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie. Phaneuf instantly became the team’s best blueliner and its captain; Aulie, on the other hand, is a big, physical, stay-at-home type.
That doesn’t mean they brought the same specific skills as the 22-year-old Schenn, but their arrival added to the team’s depth and balance. So too did the continuing development of 25-year-old Carl Gunnarsson (on many nights the Leafs’ best two-way defenceman), 24-year-old Cody Franson (who recovered from a rocky start to the season to now be one of coach Ron Wilson’s most dependable d-men), and 21-year-old training camp surprise Jake Gardiner.
Add a re-signed Liles to that mix, as well as relative greybeard Mike Komisarek (who, isn’t an attractive trade option with two years and $9 million left on his contract after this season), to go with prospects Korbinian Holzer, Jesse Blacker and Stuart Percy, and it becomes clear something has to give – especially when everyone knows Toronto needs more top-six forwards.
You’re not going to get anything of quality if you don’t give up something of quality. And although Schenn’s stock in Toronto has dropped precipitously – he’s averaging 16:24 of ice time so far this season, one second less than Aulie, who spent most of the first two months in the AHL – he still has enough talent to fetch Burke something solid in return.
If and when Schenn is traded, some will say Toronto is once again mortgaging its future by trading away an important young player. That’s not true any longer. The Leafs now have enough important young players to acquire different kinds of important young players. And that’s a very positive sign, whether or not Schenn is here to enjoy it.
