After splitting last season between Edmonton and Columbus, Schultz hopes that he's finally joined a squad able to go deep into the playoffs. He likely won't wow anybody with his offensive gifts -- he's only put up 21 points in his last 200 games and he has been relatively quiet in the grit categories of hits and PIM. He will be able to chew up some key minutes on the third pairing and should provide better stats than his time in Edmonton indicated. It's more than likely, though, that he and Nick Grossman will be splitting playing time for that sixth D spot. Fantasy owners would be best to avoid him given his lack of scoring, PIM, hits and plus-minus impact.
Schultz gives the Oilers a veteran presence along the blue line, but not much else. He will probably deliver 75 hits, though, to go with his 15 points. Only you know if your team has room for a guy like that.
Schultz has nine years of NHL experience, and it's all been spent with the Wild. Outside of the occasional assist, Schultz is limited offensively which makes him avoidable in fantasy leagues, but he does help the Wild in defensive categories like hits and blocks. The veteran's 2010-11 campaign ended prematurely as the result of post-concussion syndrome, a situation worth monitoring as a new season approaches.
Schultz' defensive value as a stalwart on the blue line doesn't translate to fantasy value. He had a career-high 20 points last season and nearly doubled his shots on goal (83) as the Wild moved from the defensive-minded trap to a more fast-paced offense. Even then, that's not a viable output for most fantasy leagues.
Schultz is a big part of Minnesota's defensive capablities, but he offers little to fantasy owners. He had just 11 points and 31 PIMs in 79 contests last season. His production should hover around those numbers this season.
Schultz will likely be on the Wild's third line defense. He's never posted more than 16 points in a season, and he's not even a source of PIM; he's totaled just 42 in each of the last two seasons. He is durable however, playing in over 75 games in every season since the 2002-3 campaign. His production in those games, however, makes him an afterthought for fantasy rosters.
Schultz played in all 82 games last year, but had just 12 points. He's solid on the blue line, but his production on offense doesn't make him an option in almost any fantasy league.
Schultz has been a consistent figure in Minnesota the past few seasons, playing nearly every game and getting 10-20 points. However, consistency doesn't count in fantasy world, so probably avoid Schultz.
Schultz is just 23, so his game could grow, but so far he hasn't added much offense while manning the blue line. Still, in 2003-04 he tied for first on the club in plus/minus and was second among Wild defensemen in goals.
