If Ian Cole can get 2+ million over 3 years as an RFA based on a couple months of solid play, I think we can expect Schultz to get more, especially if he reaches the open market.
Maybe. But Cole was also seen as potentially "breaking" out after being under used in STL. Cole also never really made much before. The question people will legitimately have with Schultz is he really this good (or better) or is what was seen in EDM recently the real him? There's also the question of whether he's a 2nd pairing or 3rd pairing D. Right now we're really sheltering him. Again, he's getting 14 minutes a night (or less), and is getting a lot of starts in the offensive zone.
Could he get 2.5m? Absolutely. But I doubt he takes a 3+ yr deal right now (at least not for that). He might take a 2-2.5m 2 yr deal from us (or another contender). It's really going to be a question as to how good he thinks he is. Does he believe he can be a good top 4 offensive D? Because if he thinks that, then it's in his best interest to establish himself in that mold in the short term before looking to commit long term (and be paid as such). Schultz has earned ~9.5m over the last 4 years (minus escrow, plus bonuses). Not a ton by any means, but enough that in the short term, he likely has the ability to take a step back and re-***** things in order to see what's best for him and his career long term.
Again, do I think it's a guarantee that we sign him? No. In fact I suspect he either signs with us really early or that we wouldn't sign him until after July 1st, just to give him an option to see what's out there (should he want to). And if we don't sign him, it's not the end of the world. Rutherford just needs to have a firm price in mind if he does sign him. If he can't get something done within that range, then so be it.
