Critics in the world of the Philadelphia Flyers love to rumble the name of Brayden Schenn off their tongues. Some say he doesn’t pull his weight, he isn’t living up to his potential, and airy hopes of trading him are the topic of many faultfinders.
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Are all these speculations a fair assessment of the potential in Schenn? He is still a young player who has many more attributes than short comings. Is Philadelphia ready to lose patience and give up on him? Think again.
Schenn reached the NHL when he was 18 years old. He is now 24 (As of August 22nd) and will be entering his fifth season. Each year his point production has increased and his skills have become sharper. Looking back over the last three seasons one can label Schenn as a “utility player.”
He has been assigned different positions, on different lines, with multiple other players. He has done a fine job of becoming flexible. He has never really been given a chance to improve on skills, or build chemistry with line mates. He learned to adjust to what was needed at the moment. He is one of the few players to have been shuffled around consistently. With motivation and flexibility, he fared well.
In the 2013-2014 Season, Schenn was moved from center (his natural position), to allow Vincent LeCavalier to start as center. On left wing, Schenn then advanced to the first line to cover Scott Hartnell’s injury.
With this adjustment, and not returning to center position for most of the season, he still had a productive year. With 82 games played, 20 goals, 21 assists, six game winning goals, the third most hits (200), and the third most faceoffs (685) wins for the team. Flexibility lead him there.
"Apr 5, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates with center Ryan White (25) and right wing Jakub Voracek (93) after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports"
In the 2014-2015 season, Schenn had similar situations dealt to him. He moved from the center position to cover Jake Voracek on the first line wing and later in the season when Wayne Simmonds was injured Schenn stepped up to try right wing for the first time. His stats at the end of this season: 82 games played, 18 goals, 29 assists, and six game winning goals.
Not bad for a young player who moves around so much.
His contract was extended in 2014 with a 2.5 million cap hit. Going into the second year of this contract, the 2015-2016 season will give him the opportunity to develop into the player he can be.
If Brayden Schenn is given consistency, then there is no doubt he will be consistent. Give him that chance, and he will grow. Jake Voracek has been in the NHL for seven years now and at the age of 26 some claim he peaked in 2014-2015. Patience and support will tell all for Schenn.
A new season brings a new coach to the Philadelphia Flyers, Dave Hakstol. He has said this on Schenn’s projected 2015-2016 season, “I’m not making any decisions on anything that’s happened in the past. I think it’s about what you do from this point forward and that will be the case in this situation.”
Expect much from forward Brayden Schenn this 2015-2016 season. Fans want to see it and he will deliver.
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