| MR_BIGGS | 06-25-2012 05:30 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blah_Teggie
(Post 7958463)
Can someone please explain all the hype surrounding this Schultz kid? Who is he and why does everybody thinks he's so good? He's never played a single NHL game, he was drafted 4 years ago 43rd overall, he went 2 picks after we took Sauve and was the 19th defenceman taken in that years draft. So what makes this kid a can't miss prospect?
| Coveted NHL free agent Justin Schultz a Quote:
VANCOUVER — Justin Schultz handles the puck in a cool and confident manner. He quarterbacks the power play to perfection, efficiently finds the net and did it all to critical acclaim in three seasons at the University of Wisconsin.
But can the coveted unrestricted free-agent defenceman turn promise into efficiency at the NHL level?
Judging by the clamour to court the former Anaheim second-round 2008 draft pick — he became a UFA on Monday thanks to a loophole in the expiring NHL collective bargaining agreement that cites his extra year of BCHL play before jumping to the NCAA and then snubbing the Ducks at the June 1 signing deadline — there’s widespread belief that at age 21, the West Kelowna, B.C., product has a level of maturity to excel at the pro game.
And with Schultz limited to a two-year, entry-level contract at $925,000 US annually, suitors are salivating. It makes his reported demand for NHL ice time seem moot if he’s that good after amassing 16 goals and 44 points in 37 games with the NCAA Badgers last season.
Rylan Ferster coached Schultz in the 2008 World Junior A Challenge when he guided the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. And while it’s hard to predict NHL potential from a BCHL star, he saw enough of Schultz years ago to know why the current hype is understandable.
“He was certainly a pretty special player,” Ferster recalled Monday. “He was pretty dynamic and skated pretty fluently and could really handle the puck. He’s a guy who when he was on the ice — even though he was on the back end — was a threat. His game has obviously taken off and got a lot better than when he was down here, but when the puck was on his stick it usually ended up in a better place. And when he jumped up into the play, the puck would find him.
“That’s what you remember. You want young defencemen to jump up into the play but they don’t always make things happen. When he was up there, something was going on.
“And he’s a very soft-spoken, one of those guys who really has his head on straight. A pretty humble guy.”
The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers will be front-runners when the wooing commences Wednesday and expect the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks to make their cases, too. If Schultz really wants to play closer to home, the Canucks can offer the right fit as being part of a veteran core without the pressure of being ’the’ guy.
There would be the carrot of possibly filling the No. 4 spot and getting ample power-play time — even if UFA blue-liner Sami Salo returns in a limited role — and landing Schultz would be especially attractive if the Canucks can move Keith Ballard’s contract. They could use the cap space and they need to get younger.
Marc-Andre Gragnani, 25, had one goal and three points in 14 games after being acquired from Buffalo for Alexander Sulzer at the trade deadline, but the restricted free agent wasn’t qualified before Monday’s deadline. He looked tentative in the offensive zone, lost in the defensive zone and didn’t play in the post-season.
A lack of overall puck movement and getting pucks through led to a paltry 3-for-21 playoff power-play performance by the Canucks. There is potential in Kevin Connauton, 22, who had 13 goals for the Chicago Wolves last season but he needs to improve his defensive awareness. And a home-grown UFA like Jason Garrison, 27, of the Florida Panthers isn’t going to come cheap after a franchise-record 16-goal season. That’s what makes Schultz so intriguing.
“It’s his vision. It’s his composure with the puck. It’s his puck skills,” said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves. “And the one thing that’s just a gift is his shot. He has the innate ability to get that puck to the net to allow for rebounds, tip-ins and goals. He’s got what we call a smart shot.”
That’s why there’s so much interest. The Oilers can dangle being quarterback of a potentially explosive power play that includes Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. That will either come with the pressure to perform or the understanding that the Oilers are still in a patient rebuild mode by opting for Nail Yakupov as the first overall draft pick Friday in lieu of trying to land a veteran blue-liner.
The Rangers can play the buddy card with Wisconsin alums Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan and the Maple Leafs can do the same with Jake Gardiner. The Wings can trot out the Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart voids and the Blackhawks could sell Schultz in that they’re not that far removed from returning to Stanley Cup contention.
Read more: Coveted NHL free agent Justin Schultz a
| Quote:
Originally Posted by kristianhay
(Post 7958470)
Eh, it's the offseason. Speculating and keeping up with rumors makes it a little more fun and interesting, especially when you've been following the team for so long!
Schultz is just a complete player and has put up good stats wherever he has been. Justin Schultz Highlights - YouTube
| Just giving you a hard time...so much speculation out there. |
