Schenn calm, Reimer restless

One more week.

One more week of speculation and rumors for Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn who always seems to be at the centre of trade talks in Toronto. For the 22-year-old Saskatoon, Sask., native, talking about potentially being traded has become a way of life and it gets worse as the Feb. 27 trade deadline draws nearer.

"It’s talked about every day," Schenn said. "You’re asked about it every day. It’s all part of playing in Toronto. This is my fourth deadline and there seems to be more and more hype each year. I think it’s a bigger day in Canada than Canada Day is. It’s like an annual holiday. At the end of the day it’s completely out of our control as players – unless you have a no-trade clause. There’s obviously a lot of speculation and a lot of talk, but we, as players, can’t do anything about it. It’s a reality that lots of trades happen so we’ll see what happens."

The fact of the matter is the Maple Leafs are very much a work in progress and to get better, they may have to part with some of their young talent. That could be Nazem Kadri or Joe Colborne, both of whom are currently playing in the American Hockey League with the Marlies, or it could be a roster player such as Schenn or perhaps Jake Gardiner.

Schenn seems to take things in stride.

"It’s a bit repetitive," he said. "You could take it a couple of ways. If you’re being talked about, I guess it means other teams want you. At the same time, I love it here in Toronto and I want to stay. The team is on the upswing. We’ve gone through the rebuilding phase and the tough times and obviously you want to be part of the good times here. It’s out of my control.

"You learn to have thick skin playing in Toronto. If you make a mistake on the ice or you don’t have a great game, it’s a lot different playing here than it is down south where a guy could be going through the same thing, but nobody knows about it."

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The Maple Leafs begin a four-game home stand Tuesday night when they host the New Jersey Devils who have won three straight and are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games. Toronto has dropped five of its past six games and was thoroughly embarrassed 6-2 by the Canucks in Vancouver last Saturday. A home sweep would go a long way toward getting the Maple Leafs into the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.

"I think we have to get back to basics," Schenn said. "I think we’re cheating a bit trying to score goals. When you’re cheating and not playing well defensively that’s when bad things happen. The amazing thing is we’re still in a playoff position. Obviously we’ve gone through a tough stretch, but we have to stop the bleeding now. We have a good opportunity this week."

IN THE LOOP: Joffrey Lupul was absent from practice Monday, but Leafs coach Ron Wilson said he expects the left winger to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Devils. Lupul, who is eighth in NHL scoring with 23 goals and 61 points, suffered an upper ankle injury after getting in the way of a shot in the game against the Canucks.

GUNNER GOOD TO GO: Defenceman Carl Gunnarsson missed three games with a sore ankle, but will play Tuesday against the Devils. "He said he felt about 95 or 96 per cent," Wilson said. "He’s improving rapidly so he’s a go for tomorrow."

The Leafs sent defenceman Keith Aulie down to the Marlies.

GRILLING THE GOALIE: Do the Leafs have good enough goaltending to make the playoffs this season?

That is a question GM Brian Burke must be asking himself with the trade deadline one week away. The Leafs rank 27th as a team in goals-against average and both James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson have struggled of late. Wilson said Gustavsson will get the start against the Devils.

"Goaltending is a huge part of any team’s success or failure," Reimer said. "When a team has a sub-par game, a goaltender can steal you a point or even a win. We need to play some good defence, but we also need good goaltending."

Reimer said both he and Gustavsson need to be there when the rest of the team struggles defensively.

"That’s our job," he said. "If the team didn’t break down now and then they wouldn’t need us. When there’s a big breakdown or a 2-on-0 or a 5-on-0, you want to be there to make a big save to get your team going or keep your team in it. That’s our job and hopefully we can keep doing it down the road."

Wilson isn’t about to put all the team’s struggles on the goaltenders.

"First, we have to play better in front of them," he said. "They know what the situation is. They worked hard in practice today and hopefully they can get the job done. There’s nothing more we can do. You can’t sit back and have five guys standing around the goalies trying to block every shot. We’ve got to make sure we’re not giving up some of the chances that we’ve been giving up."

Reimer, who is 11-8-4 this season after going 20-10-5 last season, was pulled after allowing four goals against the Canucks Saturday. While there is no question the 23-year old has a decent upside, the reality is the Leafs need him to be good now. Young forwards and defencemen are given time to develop, but when you are a goalie, there is more urgency to find your game sooner.

"I think that’s why sometimes goalies break into the league a little later because they need to be good from their first game on," Reimer said. "Your goaltender is such an integral par of the team; he can lose you a game real quick. He needs to be good. When your goaltending is sub-par it makes it hard to win"

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.