Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Luke Schenn from Vancouver Canucks

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made another trade today, acquiring depth defenceman Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.

Schenn, 33, is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of a two-year pact he signed with the Canucks that caries an $850,000 cap charge. Known for his robust physical play, defensive details, and leadership qualities, he's just the type of player that teams tend to covet around this time of year.

Luke Schenn, acquired by TOR, is a physical bottom pairing stay-at-home defenceman. He's the most prolific hitter in the NHL but that edge gets him into the penalty box a lot. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/fXZF2wdpPs

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 28, 2023

Even so, it's worth noting that Schenn is only one point away from tying his previous career high, with 21 points in 55 games as of this writing. His defensive profile may have taken a bit of a hit this season relative to last, but he's still found ways to meaningfully contribute in less than favourable situations on the Canucks blue line.

The Canucks, meanwhile, are now poised to make five draft picks through the first three rounds of this year's draft. That's much-needed draft capital for a club whose system only checked in as the NHL's 28th-best last offseason.