Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke smashed it out of the park Saturday afternoon dealing defenseman Luke Schenn to Philadelphia for forward James van Riemsdyk (via ESPN).
Here's why:
Van Riemsdyk's problems have been injury related and the fact that he plays on the Philadelpha Flyers, a team stacked with top six forwards. Schenn's biggest problem, on the other hand, is incurable: He's slow.
In today's NHL, that is one horrible trait for a defenseman. In today's NHL, perhaps a team can afford to have one slow defenseman, so long as he does other things well and is surrounded by a more fleet-footed defense.
That was not the Leafs.
With Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek and Luke Schenn all painfully slow, the Leaf's defense was eaten alive by buzzing forechecking teams last year.
Two of these lead feet had to go.
Komisarek is untradeable. He should be buried or sloughed off in some trade of horrible contracts (see Luongo, Roberto). Phaneuf has way more offensive skill than Schenn, is the captain and has a huge contract. He wasn't going anywhere.
That left Schenn whose young age of 22, b ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by mark anderson
Schenn-Van Riemsdyk Trade Fine Work by Brian Burke
June 23rd, 2012 by mark anderson Leave a reply »
Advertisement