The Nashville Predators have signed veteran defenseman Luke Schenn to a three-year contract paying $2.75 million per season.
As the fifth-overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2008 NHL Draft, Schenn entered the league under massive expectations. He was going to be the next great Maple Leafs’ defenseman, who would define the position for the next decade-plus and help carry the team back to glory. This, of course, didn’t happen, and he was traded from Toronto just four seasons into his NHL career.
After this deal, Schenn bounced around the league for a number of seasons, and it looked like his career was going to end sooner than later, despite winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. At times during these Cup runs he looked like a perfect depth player, but at other times he struggled to keep up with the speed of the game.
However, following these victories, he would sign a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks, and really find that next gear in his career once again. Schenn would play more games, score more points, and take on more ice time each night than he had in years, and he looked every bit like a top-four starting defenseman again. And, just to put a nice bow on his career arc, he was traded back to Toronto at the 2023 Deadline, where he helped the franchise win their first playoff series in nearly 20 years.
What Schenn Brings to the Predators
Throughout their history, the Predators have always been a bit of a defensive factory. At any given point, their roster will feature three players who could be the top defenseman for another franchise.
Related: 2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
With this in mind, Schenn likely won’t be asked to play top minutes in Nashville like he was in Vancouver. He will easily slot into a depth role on their third-pairing, kill penalties, lay down hits, and just make their team generally harder to play against throughout the regular season and playoffs, should they make it there. Plus, when injuries strike, he is a perfectly viable option to step up and take on more ice time each night for short periods of time.
While you can argue that this may have been a bit long of a contract for Schenn, the Predators clearly believe that he will be an important piece to help them get over the hump after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014 last season. This isn’t a bad bet to make, as Schenn makes your team harder to play against every time he takes the ice.
