Defenseman Luke Schenn is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a lower body injury, and his absence may affect Nashville's decisions in the short term and down the road. .
Today the Nashville Predators announced that defenseman Luke Schenn will miss four to six weeks with a lower body injury.
Schenn, an offseason free agent signing for the Predators, played in the first game of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning but has been out of the lineup since that October 10 game. The 33-year-old defenseman spent time in training camp and the preseason playing with Roman Josi on the top defensive pairing, but started his only game working with Jeremy Lauzon on the third pair. He logged 15:11 of ice time in that game.
It is unclear what Schenn's injury is or when he sustained it, but his absence from the Predators lineup has several implications for the defense and the team as a whole. When Schenn played against Tampa Bay, Andrew Brunette put veterans Tyson Barrie and Josi together on the top pairing, but once Schenn was out of the line up Brunette split the veteran defenders up. This move opened up an opportunity for Dante Fabbro.
Nashville's defense has had an interesting preseason especially when it comes to Fabbro and Alexandre Carrier. A healthy Schenn resulted in Carrier and Fabbro battling for ice time, and Fabbro was a healthy scratch in the first game of the season. With Schenn out, both Carrier and Fabbro have roles on the blue line. Both players are in their last year of a deal with the Predators and are working hard to prove their long term value to the team.
Schenn's injury may also pump the brakes on the trade rumors swirling around Dante Fabbro with regards to Canucks' winger Conor Garland. Nashville has been linked to conversations about a trade for Garland that would involve a defenseman with Fabbro again being the likely candidate for a trade. Fabbro has been a target of trade rumors more than once in recent seasons. With Schenn out four to six weeks, the prospect of trading Fabbro becomes far less appealing.
That isn't to say that Nashville doesn't have a few defensemen the organization could call up from Milwaukee if the need arises. Last season, Spencer Stastney played eight games for the Predators and impressed with his NHL performances, and Marc Del Gaizo made a very strong case for why he should get time with the Predators this season if an opportunity opens up. With Schenn out, either of these players could make the trip from Milwaukee to Nashville.
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