June 1 may be the date when Leafs GM Brian Burke’s strategizing for next season begins to reveal itself, since that is the deadline for Justin Schultz to decide whether he signs with Anaheim or becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The 21-year-old West Kelowna, BC native is considered one of the best prospects yet to play in the NHL, averaging 17 goals and over a point per game in his last two seasons at the University of Wisconsin. He is touted as being ready to step in as a top four defenseman with his offensive abilities, strong skating and excellent shot and has been a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and won the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year.
The 6’1” 185 lb Schultz has balked every opportunity to sign with the Ducks, who drafted him 43rd overall in 2008. Anaheim GM Bob Murray offered the highly prized youngster a short term deal late last season, that would allow him to become a restricted free agent and qualify for salary arbitration after 2013, but he opted to remain unsigned.
The Ducks continue to pursue Schultz, but if they are not able to get him signed before June 1, they risk losing him for nothing as four years will have elapsed since his draft year.
Schultz is keeping his options open, to possibly return to the University of Wisconsin for his senior year if the NHL and Players Association cannot agree on new collective bargaining agreement, but most observers believe that this gambit is aimed at July 1 and playing in the NHL next year.
TSN's Bob McKenzie speculated in March that the Edmonton Oilers, with their bevy of talented young forwards will be very interested in the rearguard, as will his home province Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers, but Toronto is also well-known to have interest in him.
Toronto reportedly pursued Schultz when discussing the trade for veteran defenseman François Beauchemin, but Murray would not part with him and moved Jake Gardiner instead, along with winger Joffrey Lupul.
Burke has a history of reacquiring players he drafted, having already obtained Gardiner and Nicolas Deschamps from his last draft in Anaheim.
One positive in Toronto's favor is that Gardiner and Schultz are close friends from their days at Wisconsin and have discussed the possibility of being teammates again.
“We’d always talked about playing together someday in the NHL” Gardiner said in an interview last November. “Right now it’s not going to happen. Hopefully someday down the road.”
Unlike any of the big trade scenarios that potentially could happen at or after the NHL draft in late June, the acquisition of Schultz will depend on who offers the most money and the best chance at playing time.
With those considerations being foremost, Toronto has a very good chance to snag the talented youngster, which would open up a number of different options in the off-season, like including Carl Gunnarsson, Luke Schenn or Cody Franson in prospective deals.
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