Kush said:
Well, I think we have very different definitions of what a competent defensive player is.
Gunnarsson, for example, played with the same sub-par group and was, in my mind, competent for the most part in his own end this season. Phaneuf, who's been notorious around the league for his poor decision making, was at the very least semi-competent while tackling the heaviest workload.
Well, we disagree about how Phaneuf played this year at least. I think Phaneuf's play was a lot further off from what you want out of your #1 than Schenn's was what you want from a #5.
Gunnarsson is not someone I'd describe as simply being competent. I'd describe him as being pretty good. I think he acquitted himself very well this season in tough situations.
I'm not using competent as some sort of high praise. I just think you're exaggerating what should be expected out of a bottom pairing defenseman in the NHL.
Kush said:
I don't disagree with you that playing on this team has had an adverse effect on him, but I think Schenn was also exposed pretty badly with a few glaring weaknesses that are his own individual problems. Maybe in a more favourable situation, those weaknesses aren't nearly as obvious, but that's not the kind of player I would be satisfied with using a top 5 pick on, unless it's in a year where the draft class is the pits.
I don't think I said that playing with the Leafs has hurt Schenn, I just think it's made his errors more noticeable. I think that if you looked around the league at people filling the role that Schenn's filled in his time here you're going to find guys who have flaws and make mistakes. A flawless defensive defenseman isn't going to be a bottom pairing guy. He's going to get 20+ minutes and lead the league in SH ice-time.
Should you be satisfied on using a top 5 pick on a bottom pairing defenseman? Probably not but that's assuming that what Schenn is right now is all he'll ever be. That's an entirely separate discussion.
Schenn being a "bad pick" is ultimately going to depend on him as a finished product, not what he is now. For him to be seen as a good pick in your eyes he'd have had to have been terrific by now which isn't particularly realistic.