TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent defenseman Luke Schenn to a one-year contract worth $700,000, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.

Schenn, 6-foot-2, 221 pounds, skated in 26 games with the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks in 2018-19, recording two assists. He was traded from Anaheim to Vancouver in January. Schenn also played in 22 games for the San Diego Gulls and seven with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.

A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Schenn has played in 734 career NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Ducks and Canucks, recording 30 goals, 145 points and 545 penalty minutes.

Schenn, 29, was drafted by Toronto in the first round, fifth overall, of the 2008 NHL Draft.

Introduction

The 2018-2019 regular season has come and gone and it was the best season in Lightning history. Then the playoffs happened. A funny thing happened on the way to lifting the Cup and it happened so fast the only thing most Lightning fans remember was the culprit was wearing a blue jacket and John Tortorella was giddy.

The Lightning took the first step to putting both the good and bad of the 2018-2019 season behind them this past week with the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Tampa Bay added seven prospects to the farm, and some were bigger than others. But where does Nolan Foote, Max Cajkovic, and others fit into the current stable of youngsters? Glad you asked. We’ve added the newbies into the existing group to come up with our post-draft rankings.

As usual, a refresher is in order about the rules of the rankings. Only players under the age of 24 on opening night of the regular season are eligible to be ranked. Skaters with 41 NHL games in a single season or a total of 82 career NHL games are considered graduated and are ineligible to be ranked. Goaltenders with 30 decisions in a single NHL season or 41 career NHL decisions are also considered graduated. Finally, NCAA-based players are eligible for the rankings for the duration of their college careers, irrespective of their age. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Consult your doctor if … nevermind.

And away we go…

The podcast is back this week as Andrew and I talk about the summer ahead for Tampa and what the Lightning need to do to get a “win” this offseason. 

That includes NHL free agency, trades, buyouts, and extensions for guys like Brayden Point.

Also, Andrew has a source, and I get to chat about the recent NHL draft.

For first-timers, Training Camp Numbers looks at Lightning prospects (who get and are often stuck with the obscure training camp numbers), Lightning talking points, and the NHL news of the week.

Thanks to Andrew Weiss for leading and hosting the show. Enjoy the Lightning talk on iTunes, Spotify, and a bunch of other platforms. Our thanks to Erik for joining in. Be sure to find him (and become a member) at Lightning Insider and Lightning Power Play.

Click here to listen.

Archive:

Name: McKade Webster
Position: RW/C
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 167 lbs.
Shoots: Right
Club: Green Bay (USHL)

The Lightning take a really nice low risk high reward pick in McKade Webster to round out their draft. Webster came to the USHL from the storied Shattuck's St. Mary's program where he was a prolific point a game player. Much was expected of Webster this season heading into his second year in the tight checking USHL ranks, but an injury held him to just six games. Webster is committed to the prestigious University of Denver program, which recruited him because of his excellent skating, stickhandling, and playmaking ability. Upon getting Webster's commitment, DU assistant coach Tavis MacMillan said, "McKade is a cerebral, playmaking winger. His deft touch and stickhandling abilities enable him to put pucks into space or make crisp passes depending upon the situation. McKade is a proven offensive producer at every level with the ability to control the pace of the game when the puck is on his stick. He is another gifted offensive player who will fit in very well with the tempo and style of game we play at DU.”

Pros:
- Excellent skater
- Gifted playmaker who controls game pace with his puckhandling and creativity

Cons:
- Lost a season of development due to injury
- Needs to bulk up at just 167 lbs.

Projection:
- Another really exciting scoring line NCAA project for the Lightning organization