Insider Reveals How Leafs Trade for Luke Schenn Collapsed at the Deadline

When Luke Schenn was traded from Nashville to Pittsburgh, many didn't think he would stick around long. After all, he's an aging veteran who is in the twilight of his career; not necessarily a piece needed to rebuild with.

So many thought that he would be headed back to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third time, as the team was looking for defensive help and he would have fit perfectly in with their system once again. Instead, Schenn was shipped to Winnipeg as the NHL's best team got even better.

But Toronto was definitely all in on Schenn, and the reason the team couldn't get a deal done is due to Kyle Dubas' lack of patience in finding a deal.

Toronto was still looking to add Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo (which they did) and also potentially have a Mitch Marner deal in the works, so adding Schenn was going to happen once those pieces became clearer.

But Dubas wasn't waiting around for anyone, and at the first sight of a deal he took it, making out quite well with a second and fourth round pick. It's unknown what deal Toronto had for Schenn, but Dubas, in his impatience, messed up some plans for his former team.

Was it malicious? Likely not, as the former GM did do business with the team in order for them to acquire Carlo. They took on the contracts of Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar and reunites them with their former front office boss.

But I wouldn't put it past Dubas to know in the back of his mind that making the quickest deal possible does hurt Toronto. The team has to rely on an unimpressive grouping of Philippe Myers and Simon Benoit (though the latter's heroics has earned him some well deserved praise).

Taking away a surefire third pairing option like Schenn makes Toronto's life a bit more difficult come playoff time, and adding him and Carlo together would have completely transformed the team's blue line.

It's been a very Schenn-like season, as he only has five points in 62 games, but has added 233 hits and 81 blocks with both Nashville and Winnipeg.

Now, Schenn will take the NHL's best team and do his best to protect Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets' lead in the Central. If he's going to face his old team again, it'll need to be in the Finals.

A highly improbable, though not impossible task.