Ex-Oilers Defender Justin Schultz Signs With Surprising New Team
EDMONTON -- Sometimes, you go where life takes you.
That's what former Edmonton Oilers defender Justin Schultz is learning about this season. Insider Chris Johnston said he was looking for a "unique opportunity" at this stage of his playing career.
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It appears like he found it.
HC Lugano of the National League has announced that they have signed Schultz for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
— HC Lugano (@H_C_Lugano) October 23, 2024
According to Hnat Domenichelli, the GM of HC Lugano, they were looking for someone of Schultz's talents.
"Justin is a two-way defenseman," Domenichelli said via the team's press release. "We are confident that his experience will help us during the second part of the season.
Schultz brings his 745 NHL games-worth of experience to the table for his new club. In those games, he collected 324 points.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
He most recently spent two seasons playing for the Seattle Kraken, in which he collected 60 points. In his first year, he averaged 17:47 on ice, and the next season, he recorded 16:28 on average.
Schultz is the kind of offensive talent that had many people wondering why he wasn't signed. After all, this is the same defender who won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
His time with the Oilers yielded positive offensive results despite the team's lack of results. He recorded 27, 33, and 31-point seasons with the club while averaging 21:27, 23:21, and 22:37 of ice time.
He will join another former Oilers player in HC Lugano. Steadfast fans of the team will remember Mark Arcobello. The 5-foot-8 forward has spent the last five seasons with the NL (National League) team. In 12 games this season, he has collected eight points.
Arcobello spent five seasons with the Oilers and their affiliates. In 78 games, he scored 30 points while playing nearly 16 minutes a night.
Now, Schultz will see if this is where life is taking him or just a stop on the way back to the NHL.
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