Hockey players develop at their own pace. Just because one player is ahead of another at a certain age, it doesn't mean the latter player will never fulfill his potential. Defensemen in particular often tend to have a longer development cycle than forwards.
Four seasons have passed since the 2008 NHL Draft. That may seem like a lot of time, but most of the players selected have yet to celebrate their 23rd birthdays. There is still time for players labeled underachievers to have their breakthroughs at the top level.
Luke Schenn has not come close to living up to the hype that accompanied him into the defense-heavy 2008 Draft. But were the expectations even fair in the first place?
The Hockey News labeled him "the second coming of Adam Foote; a tough, physical defenseman with a modicum of skill and a ton of leadership qualities." A scout quoted in McKeen's draft preview saying, "With the way he dominates physically, any points he brings to his NHL team will be a bonus." Redline Report hailed the elder Schenn brother as "the best shutdown defender to come along in years."
Living up these standards is a mighty heavy burden for a young defenseman to bear, especially for a 18-year-old who goes directly to the NHL in his draft year. There is still a multi-year learning curve to navigate, and learning on the job in the world's toughest league is tough in any market, let alone under the constant scrutiny that comes with playing in Toronto.
In retrospect, it really should not have been a big surprise that Schenn went from untouchable at 18 to trade bait in his early 20s. Traded to Philadelphia in a straight-up deal for James van Riemsdyk (who has also struggled under the weight of lofty expectations after being the 2nd overall pick of the 2007 Draft), Schenn will try to get his career back on track in another high-pressure market.
Having younger brother Brayden on hand as a teammate can be a positive for Schenn. Just as important, he will have four years of NHL experience under his belt, with a better surrounding cast than he had for most of his Toronto tenure. The Flyers don't need him to be the next Adam Foote, going head-to-head with all the top opposing forwards. They just Schenn to keep his game relatively simple, bang some bodies and make a good first-pass out of the zone.
Schenn's biggest weakness will always be his lack of blazing speed. Even before he was drafted, scouts said he needed to refine his anticipation of the play in order to fully translate his WHL success to playing in the NHL. This learning curve is why his aggressive hitting game has sometimes gotten him in trouble at the NHL level -- he is prone to going out of position and lacks the speed to recover.
By no means is it unusual for a young defenseman to need multiple NHL seasons to work through the issues that Schenn has dealt with thus far in his career. Just by means of comparison, Foote (the 22nd overall pick of the 1989 Draft) did not reach the NHL until age 20 and did not have his breakthrough year until his fourth season.
Schenn will never be a big point producer for the Flyers. Nevertheless, he is an underrated passer who is capable of duplicating or surpassing the 20 assists he had for Toronto last year. His shot is heavy but is not especially accurate nor is it released quickly. Even so, he's had a pair of five-goal seasons so far, and he's capable of getting one or two more than that in any given year.
Strictly as a defensive defenseman, Schenn is arguably a slight upgrade on free agent depature Matt Carle. However, when other elements of the game are considered -- particularly in terms of skating with the puck and playmaking -- other players will have to step up to replace what Carle brought to the club.
In the very near future, Schenn is eminently capable of bringing to the Flyers every bit of what Karl Alzner brings to the Capitals or what Brooks Orpik has brought to the Penguins in his best years. Just don't expect Schenn to suddenly turn into a latter-day Rod Langway or Foote and he won't disappoint.
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