Smart move for Schultz, he could have signed elsewhere for more, but he fits in well with the Pens and finally has a coach that can get him to reach his potential in Gonchar.
Best of luck to the kid, hope he finally puts it all together.
Really? Who was offering him more? Link please.
He was going to get a significant pay cut no matter where he went. This is the most I think any team would pay for him, but it's still a good deal.
Accurate comment - he was a UFA, due to not receiving a qualifying offer. I doubt there were many interested in him as his game has many deficiencies.
Smart of him to not get difficult by going to arbitration. Not at all convinced he'll ever become a stud NHLer but he's definitely put himself in a good position to succeed.
UFAs do not qualify for arbitration.
Doesn't change the fact that he had the best SAT% among PITs D in the playoffs.
I am sure that had nothing to do with the fact he started in the offensive zone 66.7% of the time.
The next highest on the Penguins during the playoffs was Cole at 55.91%
Look, Justin Schultz is a decent enough guy. He is a strong skater and has a good shot. He makes horrible decisions in his own zone with the puck (you should learn this well before you begin your NHL career), as he tends to panic when he anticipates the physical play. He rarely ever wins a puck battle and it looks like he could give a ****... his compete level has to one of the lowest in the NHL.
I was expecting someone to give him a 1 year offer at about $1-$1.2M... so this contract is in line. Those that think he is anything more than a 6/7 Dman with some ability to play on the PP are going to be very disappointed... as most Oiler fans were, when we expected him to be more than that. My guess is he will play about 60-65 games, healthy scratches on some nights when the game is expected to be a bit physical.
I wish him all the best but WYSIWYG.