By Brent
Published: June 21, 2008
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'I'll take quality over quantity any day of the week,' Fletcher says 
Meet the new Leaf
LUKE SCHENN
Defenceman
Kelowna Rockets
6-foot-2, 216 pounds • Put up 28 points (7-21) in 57 games • Played for Canada in 2008 Super Series and world junior championship. • Big and strong, plays with edge. Reminds scouts of Ed Jovanovski. • Younger brother Brayden plays for Brandon and led all WHL rookies in scoring this season. The Canadian Press Schenn started his career with the Kelowna Rockets in 2005–06. He was Kelowna's first pick in the 2004 WHL Bantam Draft. Schenn made his WHL debut on September 23, 2005 against the Vancouver Giants. Later in his first season (October 11), he notched his first WHL goal in his hometown against the Saskatoon Blades. He has been an alternate captain for the Rockets for two seasons.
In his brief junior career, Schenn has had the opportunity to play for Canada on several occasions. He was a member of Team Canada at the 2007 Super Series, where he helped Canada go undefeated for eight games against Russia. He also wore the maple leaf at Under 18 World Cup Tournament, where Canada won gold. During the 2007–08 season, Schenn was named to the WHL's roster for its part in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. from Wikipedia "Luke Schenn is the potential franchise defenseman who serves as the lynchpin in your blue-line corps for 10-15 years. He's also the most NHL ready of all the defenseman in his draft class, standing 6-2 1/2, 216 pounds and having served an extra year for the Kelowna Rockets at the age of 16. It was a costly trade to sacrifice what looks to be the team's 2nd round selection (in addition to a third next year or vice versa), but I agree with Fletcher in that there's no substitute for quality. Schenn is can't-miss in my opinion. It was going to be costly to jump into the #1-6 range of sure-thing picks and the Maple Leafs needed to make a "lock" pick at this juncture. I would liken Schenn to Foote as he is extremely effective in executing a tight and simple defensive game. He's also got a Dion Phaneuf-like meanstreak. I suspect Schenn will rival Montreal's Mike Komisarek in the coming years with his ability to physically punish the opposition. Schenn will go great lengths in reinforcing a defense corps porous in their own zone.
Hope springs eternal in Leafland as the Leafs finally have a first-rate prospect in their system. It's been a while. Schenn - Stralman will be a dynamic top pairing blue-line tandem for years to come. With Schenn, Stralman, Kulemin, Pogge and Tlusty, in addition to some wildcards in Vorobiev, Earl, Mitchell and Ruegsegger, a nucleus of youth is beginning to form within the Leafs' system. The youth movement is on in Toronto." Alec Brownscombe - http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15793 "Toronto's going to love this guy," St. Louis president John Davidson said. "He's a real character guy. He takes draws, he kills penalties, a lot of speed. He can fight." Maple Leafs Draft Luke Schenn 5th Overall- Live Coverage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLKBo9M2Jz0 More links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Schenn http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/luke_schenn http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=89981 - |
