The Pittsburgh Penguins announced via Twitter and their website the re-signing unrestricted free agent defenseman Justin Schultz to a 1-year contract worth $1.4MM. Schultz, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline in exchange for a third round pick in 2016, became an unrestricted free agent when the Penguins declined to give him a qualifying offer, which would have been around $3.9MM.
Schultz played 18 regular season games for the Penguins, scoring one goal, and adding seven assists. In his first shot at playoff action, he played 15 games, picking up four assists, and was a scratch for nine of the team’s first twelve playoff games. Before joining the Penguins, Schultz played 248 games for Edmonton, scoring 28 goals, and adding 73 assists, averaging 22 minutes a game.
Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, Schultz starred at the University of Wisconsin, playing alongside fellow Ducks prospect Jake Gardiner. In a situation similar to that of Jimmy Vesey, Schultz went unsigned by Anaheim, and become an unrestricted free agent in 2012. He met with several teams, who saw him as an elite prospect, and chose the Oilers after a meeting with former Oilers star Wayne Gretzky.