NHL Trades and Rumors
Maple Leafs Insider Suggests Reunion With a Familiar Face On Defense
Jonas Siegel included Luke Schenn among the right-shot defensemen the Maple Leafs could pursue ahead of the trade deadline.
In a matter of two weeks, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone from likely sellers to legitimate buyers, riding a 6-0-2 run over their last eight games to catapult themselves back into the playoff picture.
Almost everything has started to click, but one lingering concern remains: the injury to their borderline best defenseman, Chris Tanev. As a result, a right-shot blue liner sits atop GM Brad Treliving’s wish list ahead of the trade deadline, and the latest name added to the growing list of potential targets is a familiar face in Luke Schenn.
The Maple Leafs’ first-round pick (fifth overall) from back in 2008 would reportedly welcome a change of scenery — particularly to a playoff contender — so could a third stint in Toronto be the charm?
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic seems to think so, as he recently included Schenn among three defensemen the Leafs could target to help bolster their blue line amidst their push for the postseason.
“Yet another sequel with Schenn could be the move that suits the Leafs right now… bringing Schenn back a third time still makes some sense. At minimum, Schenn should be an upgrade on the Philippe Myers/Henry Thrun/Dakota Mermis/Matt Benning cluster. And if he can replicate some of the chemistry he had with Rielly and move pucks as confidently as he did in the postseason two years ago, the Leafs will be in a better spot — not a great spot, but better than the present and with very little spent. The best that Rielly has looked in recent years was during that stretch in 2023, playing with Schenn.”
The 36-year-old Schenn is a pending UFA in the third and final season of the three-year, $8.25 million contract signed with the Predators back in free agency of 2023.
Luke Schenn Could Make Sense for Toronto
Schenn would not only be affordable in terms of the salary cap, but he would also come at a much lower acquisition cost in a trade, something that’s critical for a Maple Leafs team very light on picks and prospects.
Siegel also notes that Morgan Rielly — who’s had a roller coaster ride of a 2025-26 season — has looked his best in the past when partnered with Schenn, so it could be worth the shot of trying to rekindle that chemistry.
For years, the Maple Leafs have chased the biggest names at the trade deadline, and while they should look to buy again this season, the answer may not come via a splashy move, which is exactly what makes Schenn a realistic and logical option.
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