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Arizona Coyotes Sign Luke Schenn To 2-Year Contract

By Jason Harrison

Mar 22, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Luke Schenn (52) between the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Kings 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Luke Schenn (52) between the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Kings 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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The moves keep coming as Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka signed free agent defenseman Luke Schenn to a two-year contract on Saturday.

Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka hasn’t been afraid to make moves in his first offseason as the man in charge.

On Saturday afternoon he made yet another, signing free agent defender Luke Schenn to a two-year, $2.5M contract.

Luke Schenn had most recently played for the LA Kings after being traded there midseason from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Here’s the Arizona Coyotes press release on Schenn:

"Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka announced today that the Coyotes have signed defenseman Luke Schenn to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed."

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"“We are very pleased to sign Luke to a two-year contract,” said Chayka. “He’s a good, young defenseman and we feel we can optimize his performance here. He will be a solid addition to our blue line.”"

"The 26-year-old Schenn registered 4-12-16 and 82 PIM in 72 games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings last season. The Saskatoon, SK native has recorded 28-100-128 with 409 PIM in 566 career games with the Kings, Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs."

"The 6-foot-2, 229 pound Schenn was drafted in the first round (fifth overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft."

While signing Schenn isn’t exactly a home run pickup, he serves a purpose as a right-handed defenseman in an organization that was starving for NHL caliber players on that side in 2015-16.

He’s never quite lived up to his status as a former 5th overall pick, but he is serviceable offensively and likes to deliver the body when given the opportunity.

As we can infer from Schenn’s HERO chart, he’s not going to light the world on fire in possession. He is surprisingly effective offensively for a bottom pairing defender, however, and that likely played some small role in Chayka’s desire to sign him.

As Brendan Porter of Five For Howling pointed out, Schenn’s offensive output is similar to Arizona Coyotes restricted free agent Michael Stone’s despite playing on a bottom pairing. As the team heads towards arbitration with Stone, Schenn’s contract could be used as ammunition in that contract battle.

Next: Should The Coyotes Sign Radim Vrbata?

Whether that’s the case or not, Schenn is yet another piece acquired by Chayka in an attempt to improve the weakest part of last year’s team.

Maybe there are more moves in store?

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