He was solid for the Kraken. Justin Schultz, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins, finished up his NHL career with the Seattle Kraken for two seasons ending last spring.
He played 143 games for Seattle, posting 14 goals and 60 points from the back-end. He also played a strong postseason in 2022-’23, with 10 points in 14 games.
Schultz was considered by many, including yours truly, as the last piece of the puzzle for the Penguins as they built up their talent and depth for their successful playoff runs in 2016 and 2017. Then Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford snagged Schultz from the Edmonton Oilers for a 3rd-round pick in late February before the trade deadline.
Seattle GM Ron Francis signed Schultz in mid-July of 2022. The right-shot blueliner served his purpose well, adding a key amount of skill and experience to a Seattle roster that made it to Game-7 of the 2nd-round in 2023.
The 34-year-old native of Kelowna, BC gave the Swiss League a quick try this fall, but decided to hang ’em up after playing eight games for Lugano.
He finished with 745 NHL games played. Besides his two earlier stops, he also played two seasons with the Washington Capitals before moving to Seattle.
Schultz never played for the team that drafted him. The Anaheim Ducks selected him in the 2nd-round in 2008.
