Luke Schenn 2010-11 Preview

After exceeding expectations in his first NHL season, Luke Schenn experienced a slump last year, which is not uncommon for a second year player. Unlike his first season, he appeared to be reacting to the opponents’ next move as opposed to dictating the play. Despite his struggles on the ice, Schenn’s statistics indicate that he didn’t have that poor of a season after all. The target for criticism was perhaps stemming from his inability to repeat a stellar first season where he overachieved expectations set for him.

Based on his stats from last season compared to his first, he scored 3 more goals, the same number of assists (12) and three more points (17). Schenn had 21 fewer penalty minutes, although his three fewer fights last season were the likely reason for that number. One of the main reasons for optimism was Schenn’s +2 plus/minus rating, which was 14 points higher than his rookie season. Evidenced by his 3 more goals, his shooting percentage also increased to 5.0% compared to his 2.0% from the previous season.

However, these general stats don’t fully gage Schenn’s performance, so real-time stats like hits, blocked shots, giveaways and takeaways will better explain his overall performance from last season. Schenn’s 173 hits placed him 17th in the NHL among defenseman and second on the Leafs defense behind Dion Phaneuf (194 hits). This number places Schenn above the likes of Shea Weber (165), Drew Doughty (157), Anton Volchenkov (153) and Zdeno Chara (151). However, Schenn had 206 hits in his rookie season, so that number must increase this season for him to be considered in the group of top shutdown defenseman in the league.

Luke Schenn posted 116 blocked shots last season, which ranked him 62nd among defenseman. His 119 blocked shots from the previous season were in the same ballpark, so there is no considerable drop off in this category.

Schenn had 74 giveaways in his rookie season, compared to 41 last season, so he has evidently made improvements with handling the puck. In the takeaway category, his 22 last season were 11 less than the previous year when he had 33. This could mean he exerted less aggression on the opponent to attempt to take away the puck.

Combining for 379 hits and 235 blocked shots over his first two seasons in the NHL proves that Luke Schenn is on his way to becoming a future star defenseman and anchor for the Maple Leafs defense. His tremendous poise on the ice for a 20-year old is outstanding and his leadership qualities are beyond his years. There is a genuine reason for optimism and excitement for the organization and its fans that the team finally has a true star in the organization.

After adding 20 pounds in the off season, Schenn comes into training camp battling for a top four spot on the Leafs blueline. Now weighing in at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, the ‘human eraser’ is poised to make his mark for the blue and white and become a feared defenseman around the league.

2009-10 Statistics
79 games, 5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points, 50 penalty minutes

2010-11 Prediction
82 games, 6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points, 80 penalty minutes

3 Burning Questions

1 – Do you think Schenn will crack the Leafs top four defense this season?

2 – Will his added weight (20 pounds) bode well for his development or slow down his overall mobility?

3 – Will Schenn develop into the cornerstone of the Leafs defense (along with Dion Phaneuf) and be considered among the NHL’s elite?

Feel free to chime in with your answers or share your predictions in the comments section.

*Real-time statistics courtesy of http://www.behindthenet.ca/ and http://www.nhl.com/.