Luke Schenn has grown used to vary over greater than 15 years as an NHL defenceman.
Getting traded twice on the commerce deadline, although, was one thing new.
The veteran blue liner was dealt from the Nashville Predators to the Pittsburgh Penguins to the league-leading Winnipeg Jets over the course of two days earlier this month.
“Whirlwind’s an understatement,” Schenn stated Monday after the Jets practised in Vancouver.
Winnipeg (47-14-4) has hovered across the high of the NHL standings all season, however wished so as to add toughness and post-season expertise forward of a playoff run.
“Hockey smart, the transition’s been easy,” stated Schenn, who gained back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Everybody’s been tremendous welcoming. While you come to a staff like this that’s form of had the yr they’ve had, you simply need to slot in and contribute nevertheless you’ll be able to.”
The Jets additionally picked up Tanev from the Seattle Kraken on the deadline in change for a second-round choose within the 2027 draft.
The transfer marked the left-winger’s return to the membership the place he began his NHL profession as an undrafted free agent again in 2016.
“It’s clearly a whirlwind right now of the yr, throughout the commerce deadline, and also you by no means know what’s to return,” Tanev stated.
“However for me to return again to a spot I do know very nicely — I began my profession right here, spent some nice years, made some mates, lots of good teammates which might be nonetheless right here that I’m superb mates with — it makes issues within the transition loads simpler for me to return again on this locker room.”
New York Rangers’ Sam Carrick (39) and Winnipeg Jets’ Luke Schenn (5) battle for the puck throughout the second interval of their NHL hockey sport in Winnipeg, Tuesday March 11, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Greenslade
Tanev joined a line with Morgan Baron and Alex Iafallo, and rapidly discovered success. They’ve contributed three objectives and two assists over Winnipeg’s final 5 video games.
“I believe we’ve stored issues easy, we’ve communicated, we perceive the place we have to be and what we have to do on a shift-by-shift foundation,” Tanev stated. “So I believe that’s simply the mindset getting in each shift, understanding what we have to do, what we have to carry the staff and go on the market and, finally, have some enjoyable.”
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Each Tanev and Schenn add depth, tenacity and expertise to Winnipeg’s lineup, stated winger Kyle Connor.
“They’ve been across the league fairly a bit, they’ve been in some playoff conditions and clearly their management provides to our locker room, which is superior,” he stated.
“You see the best way Schenner performs, blocking pictures, hitting guys and simply making laborious performs — he’s the kind of participant that you may simply see he’s going to excel within the playoffs. And similar with Tanev. So I believe we introduced in two guys that, as soon as the robust instances come and the massive moments come, I believe their video games are going to shine.”
The Jets have been a drive all season, and topped the league in factors (98), wins (47) and purpose differential (plus-81) heading into Monday night time’s motion.
The staff has struggled within the playoffs in recent times, nevertheless, and hasn’t made it out of the primary spherical because the 2020-21 marketing campaign.
Forward of this yr’s commerce deadline, the Jets’ teaching workers had lengthy conversations about what, exactly, the roster wanted, stated assistant coach David Payne.
“You possibly can add a lot of items, however we had been very cautious about ensuring that items match,” he stated. “And I believe that may generally get slightly bit missed, versus what the identify would possibly say on the marquee.”
The Jets discovered what they had been on the lookout for in Schenn and Tanev.
“These guys match our group,” Payne stated. “And we actually like what we have now shifting ahead.”
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