Schenn, Pearson bring wealth of experience to Buffalo

With their work visas sorted out, defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Tanner Pearson are here and ready to help the Buffalo Sabres.

Acquired last Friday from the Winnipeg Jets, Schenn and Pearson skated with their new team for the first time on Thursday morning, and both figure to see some playing time down the stretch as depth contributors.

Schenn, 36, and Pearson, 33, are veterans of nearly 2,000 combined games. Buffalo marks the former’s 10th NHL team and the latter’s seventh, and they’ve actually been teammates with four organizations, now: Los Angeles, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Buffalo.

“We can’t seem to shake each other, it seems,” Schenn joked.

Players leaguewide, these guys included, have taken notice of the Sabres as they’ve climbed to the top of the Atlantic Division over three dominant months, and now Schenn and Pearson are joining in on the fun.

“We played here earlier in the year (Dec. 1) with the Jets,” Schenn 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, and we’re just happy to contribute any way we can and be a part of it. And looking forward to getting going here.”

Here are some takeaways from Schenn’s and Pearson’s introductory press conferences.

Luke Schenn

18 NHL seasons

Schenn has played 1,118 regular season games across 18 seasons, plus 58 playoff games. That postseason experience includes Stanley Cup titles with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021.

Having been traded seven times, six during the season, Schenn understands how to acclimate to new surroundings and become one of the guys – even if he’s reminded of his age, at times.

“My wife said to me other day,” he recalled, “you know you’re getting old in this league when at one point, it’s Shane Doan and his wife welcoming you to the team, and next thing you know, it’s Josh and his girlfriend. That’s how you know you’ve been around for a little while.”

Straightforward game

The league has gotten faster and more skilled since 2008, as Schenn pointed out, but the former fifth-overall pick has tried to maintain the same, steady presence on the back end.

“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.”

Schenn won’t wow anyone with his speed, but he’s got 139 hits and 54 shot blocks in 46 games this season. He’s averaged 13:44 of ice time, which is about (if not more than) what he’ll likely play when in the Sabres’ lineup.

Blue-line depth

The right-shot Schenn is now one of eight healthy defensemen on Buffalo’s roster, and he should see third-pair opportunities behind Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power and Bowen Byram, a top four that’s quickly impressed the veteran newcomer.

“I might be the most biased guy in the world, but the size is the biggest thing,” said the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Schenn. “You see that teams that win have a big D corps. Those four guys and [Logan Stanley] and [Michael Kesselring] and [Conor Timmins], everyone’s big and heavy, and on top of that, great skating, too. … I’m a big fan of everyone on that D corps, watching from a distance, and I’m looking forward to just chipping in and being part of it.”

• What to expect from Logan Stanley, Buffalo’s imposing new defenseman

Stanley would be a familiar third-pair partner, as he and Schenn played 265 minutes together at 5-on-5 in Winnipeg this season (Evolving Hockey).

Tanner Pearson

Childhood memories

A native of Kitchener, Ontario, Pearson recognizes the atmosphere these days at KeyBank Center.

“I remember coming here as a kid with my dad and going to those games. When they were in the playoffs then, it was buzzing,” he said. “It’s such a sports town, they want their teams to do well, so to see what we’re doing right now, it’s bringing a lot of energy to the building. I think guys are feeding off it, and everyone’s having a blast.”

Immediate success

Pearson, the 30th-overall pick in 2012, made his regular season debut in November 2013, and seven months later he was lifting the Stanley Cup with the Kings. He had 12 points during that rookie playoff run and recalls seeing longtime veterans like Robyn Regehr win their first championship.

Twelve years later, Pearson is one of the experienced guys in the room, and he’s someone the young Sabres can look to as they (likely) navigate their playoff debuts next month.

Evolving down the lineup

The winger was more of a top-six player earlier in his career, eclipsing 40 points three times and 20 goals twice. But since missing most of his age-30 season (2022-23) with a hand injury, the 6-foot-1 Pearson has adopted more of a bottom-six role for his various teams.

“To play in this league a while, you have to evolve, and I think I’ve done a good job of doing that,” he said. “Just play my game, not get too fancy, be responsible.

“… I think the way I was brought into the league on such a defensive team in L.A. has kind of helped me with that. If I have to play a defensive role, I play a defensive role. It’s what our bread and butter was back then, and that’s how I learned it coming in.”

Deep and skilled at forward when healthy, the Sabres will look for Pearson – who does have seven goals this season – to fill that defensive role, and any scoring will be a nice bonus.