The Schultz Sweepstakes:

As mentioned here earlier today, Free Agent Justin Schultz has a short list with the teams still in the running to acquire his services.

Today we will be looking at what each team has to offer and what makes each of them appealing to the highly sought after player.

The teams still in the running are the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Ottawa Senators.

One thing to note before we dive into the options is that money will not be a factor. Schultz is only elligible for an entry level contract that he will get the max salary of.

All the teams mentioned also have the cap space to add incentives so his cap hit will most likely be in the neighborhood of $3 million.

Let's take a look.





Vancouver Canucks:

Vancouver would be an appealing place for Schultz to play because he is in fact from British Colombia. Any time a hockey player has a chance to play for his hometown, you bet they'll think long and hard about it.

The possibility of playing in front of your friends and family every night while being close to home is definitely something players take into consideration when contemplating contract offers.

Out of the teams listed, Vancouver also has the best overall team (back to back President Trophy winners) and is probably the team closest to a Stanley Cup Championship.

Now this is also a reason for Schultz to not go to Vancouver because the pressure is there to win now. Joining the Canucks would not put Schultz in the best position to hone his skills and transition into the NHL.

With five defenseman already under contract for next season Vancouver has one roster spot remaining to offer Schultz, upcoming prospects, and impending free agents. RFAs Ryan Parent and Marc Andre Gragnani could both potentially return.

It has been reported that Schultz wants a guarantee from whatever team he joins that he will be getting quality minutes which will not be the case in Vancouver.

The fact that they have the cap space and that they are his hometown team are likely some of the few reasons Schultz is still interested in them.

Edmonton Oilers:

The Oilers appear to be set on their forward ranks after this year's draft. Adding 1st overall pick Nail Yakupov to a group that already features Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paajarvi.

After the Draft, GM Steve Tambellini noted that the organization would be focusing their attention to their blue line.

Schultz would contribute offense from the blueline and probably play heavy power play minutes.
Edmonton would be a great fit for Schultz because he would add to the core that has already been established and would be a great piece to have on their blue line that desperately needs a blue-chip offensive defenseman.

The knock on the Oilers is that well...they are the Oilers. After three consecutive years with the 1st overall pick they do not appear to be that much further in their rebuild; they need players that can help them win now. The young talent is there but it has not turned into on ice success just yet.

With their current roster, Edmonton is still another year or two away from even competing for a playoff spot.

So while Schultz may be getting the ice time he is looking for, there is still the fact that the Edmonton Oilers are not a competitive team (yet). Could he help and push them in the right direction? Absolutely. However, you also need to remember that Schultz has yet to play a game in the NHL and expecting him to come in and turn this team into a contender just is not reasonable.

Toronto Maple Leafs:

The Maple Leafs have (in recent years) been in on just about any big name free agent or college player. Toronto boasts one of the most storied franchises in all of sports with numerous championships and hall of famers.

However, the last few years have not been kind to them. Toronto is the only team post lockout to not make the playoffs. That is seven years in a row without a playoff birth.

While the team appears to be poised for a turnaround, they will still need some key pieces.

Schultz happens to be good friends with Toronto prospect Jake Gardiner so you bet Gardiner has done his due-dilligence to convince his buddy to don the blue and white.

The issue with Toronto is that they already have five defensemen under contract and still have players to re-sign. Cody Franson and Mark Fraser are impending RFAs while Jeff Finger and Matt Lashoff are UFAs. This is not taking into account any potential UFAs the Maple Leafs offer contracts to.

The pressure is on Toronto to make the playoffs now. Management will not tolerate more failure. This team needs to play solid start to finish and there will be no room for a player to get his feet wet in the NHL.

Playing in Toronto also puts players in one of the biggest hockey markets in the world. With that comes the scrutiny of the media and fans. As of right now the expectations have been set pretty high with Schultz. If he cannot live up to them, the fans will voice their displeasure which can be a tough environment to deal with as a young defenseman (see Schenn, Luke)

New York Rangers:

When are the Rangers not rumored to be interested in a highly touted player?

Rangers forward Derek Stepan and blue liner Ryan McDonaugh both have a history with Schultz as both are former University of Wisconsin teammates.

Even with four defensemen under contract and ten (yes, TEN) defenders set to be free agents the Rangers are still in the running for Justin Schultz.

That is about as far as it goes for the Rangers though...

While they do have two open spots for defensemen, you have to expect RFA Michael Del Zotto will be offered a contract to stay on board. Sather will likely be keen on hanging on to him unless he will be part of a package for a big name player.

Sather will also have the option to bring back any impending free agents (Anton Stralman, Steve Eminger, Jeff Woywitka, Stu Bickell, Brendan Bell and John Scott)

On the prospect front they have defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlraith that will both be pushing for spots.

So with New York we have a team that has a copious amount of defensemen and asks their blue liners to basically play goalie without the pads. This is not a team that plays an up beat, skill game. This team will grind you down and beat you physically. They will also block just about everything that gets thrown towards Lundqvist.

They do not play an open game but rather dump and chase and then dump and chase and hit and then they dump it back in your zone and chase it some more. If I am a skill player, that kind of play style probably won't work well with me.

Obviously Schultz will be looking for a team that supports his style of play. On top of all that, Schultz has expressed his interest in playing for a Canadian team which New York is not.

Ottawa Senators:

This past year has been quite the rollercoaster for the Senators. When just about every person in the hockey world (including myself) picked them to finish last in the Eastern Conference, the team remained competitive all year and made the playoffs.

They were one win away from eliminating the New York Rangers in the playoffs which has to be conisdered a successful year by anyone's standards.

So what does Ottawa have to offer?

Well for starters, they only have four defensemen under contract. Impending free agent D Filip Kuba is not expected to be retained unless he takes a salary cut on a short term deal. Kuba will most likely get what he is looking for on the open market.

As of right now the Senators lack defensive depth. They expect one of Patrick Wiercioch, Eric Gryba or Mark Borowieki to play their way into one spot but the acquisition of Schultz would put less pressure on the prospects.

With this team, Schultz would have an opportunity to play under Jack Adams nominee Paul MacLean who wants a skilled, puck posession team. Schultz would also have a chance to run the second power play unit and potentially play along side Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.

The key thing about the Senators is that while Toronto and Edmonton are both viable options for Schultz, Ottawa is further ahead in their rebuild. They are already competitive and Schultz would fit in to their plan by adding another young player with high potential.
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So where do you think Justin Schultz will sign and who would you sign with if you were him? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for reading!