We knew when the Winnipeg Jets acquired veteran defenceman Luke Schenn that he would be in the lineup either during yesterday’s matchup in Carolina or tomorrow evening at home against the New York Rangers. Scott Arniel confirmed that we will see him in the lineup tomorrow.

“I’m not saying he’s going up to play with Josh Morrissey, but at the end of the day, he’s played in a lot of different scenarios in his career,” Arniel said. “We’ll just start out Tuesday, and I’m not 100 percent sure where I’m going with it, but at the end of the day, he’ll be in the lineup, and we’ll get him out there on the PK and let him do what he does best.”

The Jets acquired the Saskatoon native from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

Today, Schenn had the chance to meet his new teammates at Canada Life Centre and shake off the rust during the optional skate. His last game was on March 4th against Boston.

“He’s a warrior,” said Colin Miller. “A proven winner. A great piece to add to our team. Great guy. I’m sure he’ll be a really welcome addition.”

Mark Scheifele picked Schenn up at the airport, and he, along with Brandon Tanev (another trade deadline acquisition), are billeting with Scheifele at his home.

Schenn was in Las Vegas when he first sensed something might be up, although he had been in contact with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas before the deal was finalized.

The Penguins had acquired Schenn from the Nashville Predators just two days before trading him to Winnipeg. Schenn never played a game for the Penguins.

Schenn is no stranger to Davis Payne and Dean Chynoweth. He worked with Payne in Los Angeles when Payne was with the Kings and with Chynoweth in Toronto.

Heading into Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, Schenn has played a total of 1,057 regular-season games and 47 playoff contests. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Tampa Bay, starting in 2019-20.