Justin Schultz

[Mr. Guru]

If the qualifying offer is not made, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent. - Very likely
If the player rejects a qualifying offer, he remains a restricted free agent. - Highly unlikely
If the player does not sign before December 1, he is ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of the season. - Plausible

Possible outcomes

If a player accepts a qualifying offer, he then signs a one-year contract with his current team under the terms of the offer. If the player rejects the qualifying offer, or has not yet accepted it he is able to negotiate offer sheets with other teams. Qualifying offers are required for a team to retain a player's rights, but in most cases the player and team will agree to a contract differing from the qualifying offer. Should the player sign an offer sheet with another team, his current team is notified and can no longer negotiate a new contract or trade the player rights to another team. The current team has 7 days to make a decision whether to match the offer sheet, or decline and receive draft pick compensation from the team making the offer sheet.

Accept - The player remains with his current team on a contract identical to that of the offer sheet. With the exception that the current team does not have to match any clauses restricting their ability to trade or reassign the player like a "no trade clause". The team is not allowed to trade the player for one year.
Decline - The player becomes a member of the team with whom he signed the offer sheet under all the terms of said offer sheet. His now former team claims draft picks from the player’s new team as compensation. Compensatory draft picks are determined by the player’s new salary on a sliding scale.

Some possible and likely scenarios for Schultz.

Pretty sure he would make more money (longer term) on the open market than signing 3.9 for one year. But who knows. It's an interesting situation and why Schultz was traded so cheaply.

[Mr. Guru]

Do they have to? Just not qualify and resign him. I bet he's not looking for $4+. He's had a miserable run in Edmonton and he's finally happy/comfortable. I bet he chooses to stay in Pittsburgh at a discount.

If they don't qualify him he becomes a UFA....and that would all but seal his fate in Pittsburgh unless no other team comes knocking for his services.

I've never seen a team not qualify and then sign him after becoming a UFA.

[Right handed shot]

This information would have been handy earlier. Based off of this, Schultz isn't a keeper in my mind. I would take Ryan and Pavelski in addition to Klingon...Phaneuf and Schultz are not enough of a value here to worry about keeping.

Yes I definitely should have put all information in the first post. I was thinking multiple different options, but I was basically think about keeping all D because our league awards DMP's. So I was contemplating Schultz or even Dumba along with Klingberg and Phaneuf. Not sure I can give up Pavelski though.

[Mr. Guru]

There is absolutely no way I'd keep Schultz over Pavs

[Instant Karma]

There is absolutely no way I'd keep Schultz over Pavs

There is likely no way I'd keep Schultz over Dumba, for that matter.

[uator10]

So a scenario could be that another team offers him an RFA contract and the pens decline so they are compensated a first and a third round pick based on the NHL guidelines? However, it is highly unlikely the pens even offer an rfa contract because of the cap hit. The recent 1 way extensions of Rust, Kuhnhackl and Wilson open up space but not nearly enough to waste so much on Schultz.

[deantime419]

Nobody would give him an offer sheet - he's not proven enough yet.
Pens are tight to the cap and will need to think long and hard on whether or not he's worth that 3.9mil. Depending on the market and if any team would be willing to give him a multi-year contract or not, I still think there's a chance as a UFA he return to the pens on a 1 year deal if things go well this spring and they're willing to come within ~500k of any 1yr deal any other team offers.
Schultz has made good coin already with some contracts he might not have deserved in Edmonton and if he wants to prove himself to the league over a full season and the fit is good in Pittsburgh, he may be willing to take a bit of a discount to stay with the team who showed some faith and traded for him.

[stevegamer]

Klingberg & Pavelski are certain keepers for me from that list. While the goal in a keeper like this is usually to gain a bunch of value from low round picks returning greater value the next season, Pavelski is solid enough value to work well. Klingberg is an even easier keep.

Honestly, I like Phaneuf over Schultz from that list you posted. Schultz is a non-factor among your keepers.

[Dennis4022]

I was wrong about Schultz, he can be a useful hockey player as long as he has no pressure. Should he resign with the Penguins, he will be the no5 defender with some time on the second power play and even some rare moment on the first unit, should someone be injured. But although he will collect some points, he's not going to come close to 40 points.

I expect him to be around 25 points.

[fungchen3]

I was wrong about Schultz, he can be a useful hockey player as long as he has no pressure. Should he resign with the Penguins, he will be the no5 defender with some time on the second power play and even some rare moment on the first unit, should someone be injured. But although he will collect some points, he's not going to come close to 40 points.

I expect him to be around 25 points.

How did a kid with so much offensive promise become reduced to this? Honestly. I was also dead wrong about Schultz - I thought he had potential to be special offensively.

[Dennis4022]

How did a kid with so much offensive promise become reduced to this? Honestly. I was also dead wrong about Schultz - I thought he had potential to be special offensively.

He still has outstanding offensive skills, but he has two big problems. He's not good in his own zone, which will make coaches play him less in important situations and his body is not NHL ready. He would have to bulk up muscles while keeping his mobility on a high standard.

I don't know him personaly, but for me it seems like all these stories that he is the best young defender coming to the NHL made him a bit lazy.

This is something that happens to a lot of young players. Some just can't handle the pressure and some start thinking it will all come to them without hard work.

Google Freddy Adu if you want a good example for that.

[CHunter]

I would put money that Schultz isn't a Penguin next year.

At the end of the season, Justin Schultz is an RFA and due a qualifying offer equal to the $3.9 million he is being currently paid 1.95.

Does Pittsburgh have enough cap room to give him just south of 4M?

I don't think so. Lets not even debate if he is worth 4M or not.

Actually not playing in postseason.....what about a predicted stud being now fantasy 0.....where do you guys see him next season? Can't believe he's done???

[rataylor22]

Actually not playing in postseason.....what about a predicted stud being now fantasy 0.....where do you guys see him next season? Can't believe he's done???

I could still see Pittsburgh not qualify him and then resign him.

[ericdaoust]

He'll have a spot somewhere in the league but he won't get a good opportunity to produce. He'll just be someone's depth puck-moving filler.

[TeamRamrod]

Letangs suspension gives him an audition in the playoffs. I believe he is working with both PP lines. I suspect he will receive sheltered offensive minutes. I think his first playoff experience will be uneventful, but I hope he makes a splash and works his way into the line-up.

http://www.tsn.ca/schultz-likely-to-...ame-4-1.483504