Schenn believes he has bit of fuel left in the tank

Luke Schenn isn’t going to be taken by surprise this time around.

The veteran Winnipeg Jets defenceman — traded twice in a matter of days ahead of last year’s NHL deadline — knows a similar phone call could arrive at any moment this week.

“Last year definitely caught me off guard. I had a year left on my contract and wasn’t really expecting anything. This year, different situation,” Schenn told the Free Press during a one-on-one chat Tuesday morning.

“Obviously our team’s not in the position we’d like to be in. But I haven’t heard a single thing. It’s been so quiet. Every time I think I got things figured out and know which way my future’s going, that’s typically when things go the other way on me.”

To be clear, the 36-year-old from Saskatoon hasn’t knocked on the door of Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and asked to be moved.

“I read (online) earlier this year that I’d be open to moving. That’s never once come from me, at all,” he said.

“Obviously when I moved my family out here (last summer) and put my kids in school, it wasn’t with the intention of moving again in six months. It was to be here and help this team. But there’s been a lot of adversity throughout the year as a team, ups and downs as a team and personally, for sure.”

Indeed, the Jets have fallen from Presidents’ Trophy winners a year ago to near the bottom of the NHL standings and well outside the playoff picture. With Schenn set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer — and unlikely to be re-signed — it’s reasonable to wonder whether Cheveldayoff will try to recoup some draft capital for an expiring asset.

Might a contender look to add a two-time Stanley Cup champion for playoff depth?

“Just being totally transparent, I have no idea which way things are going to go,” said Schenn.

“It’s weird, everything is so quiet around the league so far. It’s hard to put a pulse on it. Obviously when this time of year comes, you understand there’s lots of chatter, I really don’t have a sense on which way things are going to go. In a perfect world it would be nice to be climbing our way back in the standings here in Winnipeg and be a part of that.”

For now, Schenn is trying to maintain a business-as-usual approach, even as he keeps a close eye on both the calendar and his phone.

No bags have been packed. No goodbyes have been said.

“Obviously we’re all human and we all think about what could happen. But at the end of the day a lot of it is out of our control,” he said.

“I don’t even want to reflect. I’m not there right now. I’m currently not done here. If and when anything happens we can touch on that again.”

Schenn skated in his 1,118th career regular-season game Tuesday night — though part of him couldn’t help but wonder whether it might also be his 61st and final appearance with the Jets, who sent a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-rounder to Pittsburgh to acquire him last year, after the Penguins had obtained him in a deal with Nashville days earlier.

“I’m very aware of how this business works and operates. I’ve been at this for a long time. And I think I’ve pretty much seen it all over my 18 years,” he said.

“I’ve been moved before, but when you’ve got kids in school, that’s another extra layer and dynamic. My wife’s been with me through it all thick and thin, and I don’t think anything will really catch us off guard.”

His children have grown to love Winnipeg, especially the strong minor hockey programs that didn’t exist in Nashville, and Schenn remains grateful for how the organization handled his arrival last season. That included allowing him to fly back to Tennessee multiple times down the stretch to be with his family.

“They were incredible. First class all the way, from Chipper (co-owner Mark Chipman) on down, Chevy and Arnie (head coach Scott Arniel) treated me great,” he said.

“Obviously they knew my family was staying in Nashville and gave me the opportunity to fly down there between games and off days which meant a lot to my family and myself. They definitely went above and beyond and out of their way, and I can’t say every organization would have done that. I was treated really well.”

Schenn’s game is in decline — Father Time remains undefeated — and there have been plenty of moments this year where he’s been burned on the ice and roasted off it by frustrated fans.

Still, he feels there’s at least a bit of fuel left in the tank, at least for one more playoff run. There’s even been rumblings that his younger brother, Brayden, who is currently the captain of the St. Louis Blues, could also be on the move — perhaps with both of them ending up on the same club, as was previously the case in Philadelphia.

“I still feel good on the ice. And I do feel like I can still add value to a team for sure,” said Schenn.

As for what could be on the other side of this season, Schenn isn’t willing to go there just yet. That’s a discussion for another day.

“I’ve thought about life after hockey for the last 15 years probably. I don’t think I’ve ever had it easy or taken anything for granted. There’s been lots of ups and downs. I don’t know. I don’t have the answer for that. You take moving again and the family into the equation, there’s a big part of it, too. Whatever happens, we’ll see,” said Schenn.

“Put it this way — it’s been a hell of a ride so far, and it’s a been a great journey. Ups, downs, in-betweens. It’s been an incredible ride and I would have never thought it would go the way it has. But really, really happy and incredibly grateful for every organization and teammate along the way.”

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