The Messiah

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Luke Schenn. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded up - by dealing draft picks, what else? - in order to select the big defenceman with the 5th overall selection in yesterday's NHL entry draft.

Originally slated to pick 7th, Cliff Fletcher swapped first round picks with the New York Islanders, sending a second and third round pick their way to move two spots up. I was hoping Bryan McCabe might be involved in the deal somehow but, alas, no such luck.

I've got to give Clifford some props. It was a bold move. While it was a deep draft, most of the hype was around the first six picks, and the four solid defencemen available. A sturdy, physical defenceman is exactly what the Leafs needed moving forward, and Fletch came through. He's made it his mission to turn this franchise around, and he's doing just that. Fletch went hard after the guy he wanted and by all accounts, Schenn is the real deal.

And by "all accounts" I mean Pierre McGuire, because in Pierre McGuire I trust.

Here is every one's favourite colour commentator's analysis on Schenn:

"Toronto wins huge here. This is the start of the re-build and there's no better place to start than on the shoulders of Luke Schenn. He is the Human Eraser on defence. A one man search and destroy defender. This is a franchise player."

A human eraser, a one man search and destroy defender, and a franchise player. All in one. Wow. A tear just rolled down my cheek. Anyone else thinking Dion Phaneuf?

Welcome to the jungle, Luke. No pressure.