Critics in the world of the Philadelphia Flyers love to rumble his name off their tongues. Some say he isn’t living up to his potential, or pulling his weight.
But let's put this out there right now: Brayden Schenn will be a key piece to the Flyers’ team this season.
What Schenn brings to Philadelphia is a well-rounded diverse player. He plays with grit, bump, and grind. He is determined, and he plays with heart.
Watching him in preseason games so far reveals this. He is just the player to fit the Philadelphia style. But, above all, he can play multiple positions. With an 82-game schedule, Schenn will be that versatile player the team can rely on to play any position when needed.
Are these speculations a fair assessment of the potential in Schenn? He is still a young player who has many more attributes than short comings. Is Philadelphia ready to lose patience and give up on him? Think again.
"I just want to play where the opportunity is," Schenn said. "If that is center, right wing, left wing, I obviously want to play a lot of minutes and be a key piece for the team."
Schenn is becoming a confident player. As a natural center, he is becoming more comfortable playing the right and left sides. He came into training camp placed low in the line formations during practices, yet he has proven his worth. He played a notable preseason, tallying four points in the preseason games.
With motivation in his current role, he is ready to make an impression and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. Flyers GM Ron Hextall agrees.
"I think part of the allure of Brayden is to play all three positions, that’s a good thing," Hextall said. "He’s a versatile guy.
"I think that’s good to have on a hockey club and again when you go through times during the year and you get banged up. To have a guy that can play all three positions is a good thing."
Every team needs that flexible player to step up when times are tough. Brayden Schenn has all the qualities needed to help Philadelphia succeed.
Fans want to see a significant step up from many players and he Schenn will deliver. Expect much more from Brayden Schenn this 2015-16 season.
Denise Mroz is a contributing writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow her on Twitter @denisemroz10.
