BUFFALO – Jeska Peczek recently told her husband, Sabres defenseman Luke Schenn, you can tell you’re getting old when a former teammate’s son welcomes you to your new team.
“At one point, it’s Shane Doan and his wife welcoming you to the team (the Arizona Coyotes), and next thing you know, it’s Josh and his girlfriend,” Schenn said Thursday prior to making his Sabres debut in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in KeyBank Center. “That’s how you know you’ve been around for a little while.”
Schenn, 36, is in his 18th NHL season. He’s the oldest and most experienced member of the Sabres, having played 1,119 games. He’s also the most decorated, having won the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Sabres beefed up one of the NHL’s most talented and deepest defense corps before last Friday’s trade deadline, acquiring Schenn and Logan Stanley from the Winnipeg Jets.
At this late stage of his career, Schenn, a right-handed shot, gives the Sabres depth and a sturdy veteran who understands the rigors of playoff hockey.
“I don’t think my game’s changed a ton throughout the course of my career,” he said. “I’ve always tried to be a more physical defenseman, make a good first pass and try to be hard to play against in the D-zone.”
Right now, the Sabres have eight health defensemen, giving coach Lindy Ruff options.
To make room for the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Schenn, they scratched Michael Kesselring. Stanley has replaced rookie Zach Metsa in the last two games.
Schenn skated alongside Stanley, his partner with Winnipeg this season, against the Capitals. He also killed penalties during his 14 minutes, 31 seconds of ice time.
“We can’t seem to shake each other, it seems,” said Schenn, who has played for 10 NHL teams and had two stints with both the Toronto Maple and Vancouver Canucks.
Schenn, whose Sabres began Thursday on an eight-game win streak and in first place in the Atlantic Division, knows he has joined a special group.
“We played here earlier in the year (Dec. 1, a 5-1 Sabres win) with the Jets,” he said. “We were walking out of that game saying, ‘There’s no way this team should be in the position they’re in right now. They’re too good, they’re too skilled and fast, and they’ve got size, all the pieces you need to figure it out.’
“Good for them to get on the right track.”
About a week later, the Sabres began their climb up the standings.
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Sabres winger Alex Tuch, who sat out the final 7:24 of Tuesday’s 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks with a lower-body injury, missed Thursday’s game.
While Tuch went through regular drills Thursday morning, Ruff said the veteran knew he wouldn’t play. Winger Tanner Pearson, 33, replaced him.
“He’s feeling OK,” Ruff said of Tuch. “Probably if it’s a playoff type of scenario, he’s a player, but he’s dealing with something that, why should we make it worse when a couple days could probably make it that much better?”
Pearson, who was acquired Friday in a separate deal with Winnipeg, skated at left wing on the fourth line alongside center Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn.
With Tuch out, rookie Noah Ostlund centered the first line and Tage Thompson moved from the middle to right wing.