The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenceman Luke Schenn, their top pick in the 2008 National Hockey League entry draft, meaning he'll start the season with the Leafs Friday at Joe Louis Arena against the Detroit Red Wings instead of returning to the junior ranks.
This decision begs the following question -- why was it, then, that Schenn sat in the press box and watched last Friday as the Leafs and Wings played a pre-season tilt at JLA?
The official line from the Leafs' brass was that they wanted Schenn to study Wings captain and five-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. But wouldn't the rookie have been better served on the ice, learning how to deal with the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen before he had to do it for real?
DEFEATS A WAKE-UP CALL: Leafs coach Ron Wilson of Windsor felt his team's weekend pre-season losses to the Wings would serve his young squad well in the long run.
"It was wake up and learn from a great team," Wilson said.
"Their best players work hard. If you can't get inspired watching a guy like Zetterberg fore-check, backcheck and play hard and you're sitting back thinking, 'I don't know if I want to do that. That's a lot of hard work,' then we're not going to win many games. Going forward, I think our guys know what kind of feeling you want to have."
TOSKALA'S PLAY NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Wilson indicated he wasn't worried by the indifferent play of goalie Vesa Toskala through the exhibition campaign.
"He doesn't have to play great until Thursday," Wilson said.
Slowly, Leafs forward Alexander Steen believes the club is adapting to the coaching style of Wilson, who took over the team this season.
"We need to keep building," Steen said. "I think everybody is getting a little comfortable with the system. We know what we need to do as a group."
ROSTER MOVES: Defenceman Jeff Finger, nursing a broken foot, won't be in the Leafs' lineup Thursday . . . Former Spitfires forward Cal O'Reilly was sent to Milwaukee of the AHL by the Nashville Predators . . . Chicago cut ex-Plymouth Whaler Jesse Boulerice from a training-camp tryout, while Atlanta did the same to former Red Wings defenceman Jamie Rivers . . . Ex-Leaf Bryan Berard was released by the Flyers
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