Justin Schultz

[Moose Coleman]

Basically every player you've mentioned is younger than him except Carlson who is 5 months older. Letang is also older but the breakout you reference happened when he was younger than Schultz currently is. Yes, he has less games played than many of them, but that in itself shows that he has never been as good as these comparisons as he took longer to get to the NHL in the first place.

Uh: he was in college.

 

[bone]

Uh: he was in college.

If he was as good as most of the guys mentioned before (i.e. mostly first rounders and several high first rounders) he wouldn't have needed to go to college to develop as he would have been fast tracked to the NHL (i.e. several of the comparisons made played in the NHL as 18 or 19 year olds).

I probably am minimizing the games played effect a little too much vs. the age, but what's most concerning is that he doesn't even seem to be improving much if at all defensively, and his offense has actually regressed.

 

[mangdas]

The thing with Schultz is that hes not even a poor mans MAB. Both are good at moving the puck up, absolutely horrible defensively, but he has no good point shot. A decent wrist shot is about it. He is a 6th dman on this team that is getting too many minutes, and most likely bottom pairing or AHL level defencemen on any other.

 

[Tirefire]

What do I think of JS? Future Norris Trophy Winner? (that statement alone is an indictment of MacT's ability to judge Norris Trophy Winning Talent)

His shots are muffins. There is actual hang time on his wrist shots which teams know defend against by taking his lane away. He can't hit the net with much else even from in tight, its always high and wide and out. He makes poor decisions with the puck in the O zone as evidenced by his poor pinches and giveaways resulting in shorties.

His defensive acumen is simply a joke. That can be taught over time.

BUT - He has little desire, heart, passion, urgency and energy in his play and that cannot be taught. This is not about learning a system or learning the position in the NHL. This is about guts and glory. He don't got it.

He quite simply is an excellent AHL / College defence man but doesn't have it to play a big man's game. Good signing. Good try.

But FAIL.

 

[Soundwave]

He's a decent player, good skill level, not a huge heart though.

On a good team where he could be on the 2nd pairing playing easier minutes and defer on the PP to a real point shot D-Man, he would be a good player.

Here, the Oilers are asking him to do things way above his ability. He's not a 20+ minute/night, PP QB, who has an elite level outlet pass.

He would be good on a team like Tampa Bay or Montreal or Pittsburgh.

 

[TheGuyInTheChair]

I like Schultz. He made an awful choice signing in Edmonton. He should have signed where he would have been in a winning environment, and surrounded by quality defencemen.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Is there much chatter in Edmonton about Schultz possibly every getting traded? Seems like its always pretty much Eberle, Yak, Perron type rumors. I really think a real good skilled team should offer up something for Schultz. I think as long as he remains in Edmonton, he will be a non factor. I am a HUGE fan of his potential and think he would put up crazy points on a team like SJ or Philly maybe and play all PP time and 3rd pairing minutes. In my opinion he plays way too much in Edmonton and needs his icetime cut down.

I had always thought a good fit for Schultz would have been in Dallas since they were desperate for a right handed, puck moving, PP type dman... but since the emergence of Klingberg, that idea of mine was thrown out the window.
I'm very curious to see what happens.

I know Philly is always rumored in the Yakupov sweepstakes, so maybe they'll pull a Yak/Schultz deal. Edmonton has some depth on D now and I really don't think they need Schultz. They are better off moving him and just throwing one of the skilled forwards back on d on the PP.
What do you guys think?

 

[Roof Daddy]

We have to trade this guy ASAP. Get whatever we can for him. He has to be qualified at the same money next year (or accept less money on a longer deal), and there is no way this guy deserves 3.675 to be MAB 2.0. Horrible hockey player.

 

[redgrant]

He needs to be scratched next game. Prove that performance does matter.

 

[oobga]

Sucks we have to qualify this guy at 3.675 but I guess that's better than a long term 6M deal.

 

[TheRebuild]

Sucks we have to qualify this guy at 3.675 but I guess that's better than a long term 6M deal.

At the very least, he's doing an excellent job this year proving how worthless he truly is.

 

[Cloned]

The problem I have with Schultz is that he thinks he is a cerebral defenseman with good physical (skating) tools. You can see it in the way he positions himself on the ice - he's passive, tries to rely on his stick, and he doesn't hustle. All because he thinks he can think the game well enough to anticipate and make the right play using his speed or stick.

Problem is - he can't.

I remember one play a few games ago where the puck was at the point at our blue line. There was an Oiler forward pressuring the opposing d-man with the puck, so the d-man naturally wanted to move the puck back down low along the boards. Schultz, reading this, moved away from the front of the net towards the boards. The d-man put the puck along the boards as expected (and it wasn't a hard rim either), Schultz doesn't hustle and lets the puck get by him even though he purposely played off to get the puck from this play.

 

[Up the Irons]

he'd probably work out and be a good player if in the right environment. On Nashville or Chicago, where he'd be nowhere near the top 4, and truly world class Dmen to mentor him, I could see him evolving into a good, offensive dman.

but here, where he was verbally guaranteed ice-time (which is looking more and more like the case), he's a disaster.

 

[Bobblehead]

Schultz was very, very good his first year here. Regressed since then. Thought Ramsay was going to help, but Schultz seems to have given up. I still think the potential is there, but confidence is definitely shot and I question (as with many others) whether he cares. Change of scenery or coach is definitely required . Need to hit the reset button.

Gardiner for Schultz?
Franson for Schultz?

 

[Stoneman89]

Louie Debrusk said on TV post game last night what many others have already said. Eakins needs to actually backup his lame accountablity claim when he was first hired, and had JS sit for a game or two. Instead, he increases his ice time. Schultz has definitely regressed under Eakins. He looks completely lost in his own zone, and has no idea how to use his stick properly.

 

[Stoneman89]

Schultz was very, very good his first year here. Regressed since then. Thought Ramsay was going to help, but Schultz seems to have given up. I still think the potential is there, but confidence is definitely shot and I question (as with many others) whether he cares. Change of scenery or coach is definitely required . Need to hit the reset button.

Gardiner for Schultz?
Franson for Schultz?

I'm terrified that MacT will pull a stupid desperate trade that we will get stung on and live to regret, when the real issue right now is the moron we have behind the bench.

 

[Ebs4Josi]

I'm terrified that MacT will pull a stupid desperate trade that we will get stung on and live to regret, when the real issue right now is the moron we have behind the bench.

Can a coach really make a full team of NHL players forget how to play the game they have played since they were 4 years old?

I think there is too much partying and extra activities going on outside of hockey for the 25 and under crowd. I think we need more maturity and focus on winning and respecting the city of Edmonton with pride and effort.

 

[Replacement*]

I like Schultz. He made an awful choice signing in Edmonton. He should have signed where he would have been in a winning environment, and surrounded by quality defencemen.

Although the disturbing component in this is that he specifically selected the Oilers as his first choice. Not to make too small a point of it but that can raise some eyebrows about how much a player wants to be in a competitive environment with expectations.

Instead JS signs with team Tire Fire perhaps realizing that the abysmal play is a smokescreen for limited effort.

Looking at many of our free agent signings over the years we sure seem to be attractive to players content with being on a losing ride if the money is good.

 

[Beerfish]

The guy is in the fans dog house and as usual people on here want to get rid of him for a roll of hockey tape.

It's mind boggling that some of the same people that want to ship this guy out of town also want to resign Jeff friggin Petry.

No way the Oilers should be giving up on a guy with the possible talent level of Schultz. (Yeah MacT is a bone head for his norris comment.)

He leads the team in toi
He has 10 points in 22 games, our next scoring dman has 4. His -6 is half that of Petry's -12
Second on the team in blocked shots
7 less giveaways than petry

He is not playing great but he actually still has potential and to toss him away would be a huge mistake.

 

[Stoneman89]

Can a coach really make a full team of NHL players forget how to play the game they have played since they were 4 years old?

I think there is too much partying and extra activities going on outside of hockey for the 25 and under crowd. I think we need more maturity and focus on winning and respecting the city of Edmonton with pride and effort.

Somehow, Eakins has managed to do that. If you have poor coaching and are allowed to slip into bad habits, you won't get away with it in this league.

Do you have any proof or links that there is excessive partying and extra activities going on? Never heard that, and certainly to the extent anything would affect the level of play.

 

[Stoneman89]

The guy is in the fans dog house and as usual people on here want to get rid of him for a roll of hockey tape.

It's mind boggling that some of the same people that want to ship this guy out of town also want to resign Jeff friggin Petry.

No way the Oilers should be giving up on a guy with the possible talent level of Schultz. (Yeah MacT is a bone head for his norris comment.)

He leads the team in toi
He has 10 points in 22 games, our next scoring dman has 4. His -6 is half that of Petry's -12
Second on the team in blocked shots
7 less giveaways than petry

He is not playing great but he actually still has potential and to toss him away would be a huge mistake.

That is one of the biggest problems for him right now, IMO. Way too much ice time, and absolutely no accountablity. He needs to sit a game or two.

 

[Replacement*]

The guy is in the fans dog house and as usual people on here want to get rid of him for a roll of hockey tape.

It's mind boggling that some of the same people that want to ship this guy out of town also want to resign Jeff friggin Petry.

No way the Oilers should be giving up on a guy with the possible talent level of Schultz. (Yeah MacT is a bone head for his norris comment.)

He leads the team in toi
He has 10 points in 22 games, our next scoring dman has 4. His -6 is half that of Petry's -12
Second on the team in blocked shots
7 less giveaways than petry

He is not playing great but he actually still has potential and to toss him away would be a huge mistake.

I sure wouldn't get rid of him. But I'd be sitting down with a lot of these players and figuring out whats going on. The one on one approach and all questions being asked is what needs to occur for several of these players.

i.e. You wanted to come here Justin, you wanted to play here, heres where you need to improve. Oilers have to get really brass tacks with players and giving them simple indicative assignments. If players aren't prepared to do that it provides more information on present motivation.

JS is sleepwalking through many of his shifts. Developing a habit of doing that. JS could be right beside somebody watching them tuck a rebound home and not move a muscle. Its not good enough.

 

[Beerfish]

That is one of the biggest problems for him right now, IMO. Way too much ice time, and absolutely no accountablity. He needs to sit a game or two.

I disagree, he actually needs to have the coaches play other guys more and take back his ice time. Petry and Niktin, Ference are all terrible and should be sat before Schultz.

Cut back his ice time by all means, he needs less ice time than he is getting but he still has a dimension that we do not have with other players that being some offense and he's certainly no worse defensively than the guys I listed above.

 

[oobga]

Eakins is asking for trouble from management by playing Schultz <20 mins/night. That got Renney removed. Eakins, like Renney, will likely have to write an essay about what he will do next year after this season and he will be fired if it's doesn't include him saying he will play the golden kids in every key situation no matter how they're performing.

 

[oilersrule14]

I disagree, he actually needs to have the coaches play other guys more and take back his ice time. Petry and Niktin, Ference are all terrible and should be sat before Schultz.

Cut back his ice time by all means, he needs less ice time than he is getting but he still has a dimension that we do not have with other players that being some offense and he's certainly no worse defensively than the guys I listed above.

I agree with your general point here. He's one of our better players, even without playing to his full potential, and I can understand if Eakins has reservations about not dressing one of his better defenceman. It's hard to win when your talent is in the pressbox, so a long leash is understandable. He does need to be held more accountable though, and we saw that last night with his benching in the 2nd after the line change mishap.