Penguins Schultz a Bargain

Aside from the fact that they both hail from western Canada, Justin Schultz has little in common with his lone Penguins namesake. Indeed, Dave “the Hammer” Schultz was a ferocious left wing of modest ability who brawled his way to 535 penalty minutes in 113 games with the locals back in the day.

Justin is quite the opposite—a sublimely skilled defenseman who’s proving to be quite a revelation with his heady and productive play.

Take last night’s 2-1 overtime loss to Toronto, for example. Subbing for injured teammate Kris Letang on the top power-play unit, Schultz gathered in a feed from Sidney Crosby at center point. Eyes deceptively fixed on the Toronto net, he faked a slap shot and slipped a perfectly placed pass into the wheelhouse of Evgeni Malkin at the right hash mark. “Geno” dropped to a knee and drilled a one-timer past Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen for the Pens’ lone goal.

A fluid skater and gifted puckhandler, the Kelowna, B.C. native has authored plenty of pretty plays of late. Indeed, since striking for his first goal of the season on November 30, he’s been positively on fire.

Evoking memories of another fellow who wore No. 4, Schultz has tallied five goals and eight assists over his past 10 games, to go with a sterling plus-12. He’s factored in on no fewer than 13 of the Pens’ last 43 goals—a stunning 30 percent out the team’s output. Along with equally resurgent defense partner, Ian Cole, he’s played a huge part in the back-and-gold’s recent success.

A far cry from last season, when the 6’2” 193-pounder was virtually chased out of Edmonton following an erratic four-year stay pockmarked with bouts of inconsistency and strife.

“You see him come in from Edmonton, where he came in as this highly touted guy and he put up a ton of points, and then you saw that kind of fade away a little bit,” Cole remarked to Jonathan Bombulie in a recent article for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “You’re like, ‘Oh man, what happened?’”

Perhaps a classic case of too much, too soon. After notching 34 goals over his final two seasons at the University of Wisconsin and earning WCHA Defensive Player of the Year honors, Schultz was pursued by virtually every NHL club. Romanced by Oilers Hall-of-Famers Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky, he signed a two-year deal with Edmonton in June of 2012.

Expected to be the guy, Schultz enjoyed a strong rookie campaign (eight goals and 27 points in 48 games) in 2012-13. However, after notching a career-best 11 goals the following season, the pressures of carrying the load for a high octane but defensively porous club began to tell. With little help, Schultz’s effectiveness waned. A frequent target of Rexall Place boo birds, he was a hot mess upon his arrival in the ‘Burgh last February.

Determined to bring Schultz along slowly, coach Mike Sullivan and his staff were careful to avoid placing the newcomer in high-pressure situations. Instead, they allowed him to settle into his new surroundings while gradually rebuilding the confidence that had been so thoroughly decimated.

Soon Justin’s burgeoning offensive skills began to re-emerge. In stark contrast to his tortured final weeks out west (minus-13 over a dozen games), he registered eight points and a healthy plus-7 down the homestretch for the Pens. Schultz suited up for 15 games during the team’s Cup run and performed ably, while averaging 13 minutes of ice time in a support role.

An unrestricted free agent this past summer, the 26-year-old rearguard with the ready smile took a large pay cut to sign a one-year deal with the Penguins for $1.4 million.

Thus far, he’s been worth every penny. And then some.

“It just tells you what kind of character the guy has,” Pens GM Jim Rutherford shared with Bombulie. “He found a place where he could continue to develop and get to the level that he’s at. He’s put himself in a good spot.”