It's hard to find someone who wasn't hard on Luke Schenn after his less-than-stellar season last year.
As second-year players around the NHL lit up scoreboards and cemented their spots on the team long-term, Schenn struggled and watched his ice time drop as each game passed.
Though he improved towards the end of the year, the season ended with many wondering if he was really the player the Leafs thought he was and whether his future was with the blue and white.
Heck, even I predicted before 2010-11 that Schenn would be a non-factor on the blue line, and would be quickly phased out of any important role on the club.
Oh, how we were wrong.
Schenn has not only answered his critics with a great start to the season, but he's quickly becoming one of the team's most reliable defenders, in any situation.
He's stepped up his physical play in a big way, throwing his bigger-than-last-year body (6'2", 230 pounds) around like we all thought he should, and we've seen a major improvement in his puck-handling ability.
And for those of you who wanted Tomas Kaberle out of town, make sure to thank him for that be ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Jon Neely
Maple Leafs Rising Defenseman: How Luke Schenn Quickly Became One of Team’s Best
November 16th, 2010 by Jon Neely Leave a reply »
Advertisement