Vancouver Canucks linked to two-time Stanley Cup champion

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Cooper Godin
August 25, 2024 (10:47)

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The Vancouver Canucks have been linked to a two-time Stanley Cup champion on the free-agent market.

As the off-season winds down, the free agent market is still full of players who had full-time roles in the National Hockey League last season. Some of these players will end up getting professional tryout contracts in the coming weeks, and one veteran has been linked to the Vancouver Canucks.

According to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are targeting defenceman Justin Schultz for a professional tryout contract (PTO).

"The Kelowna, B.C., native has become a speculated PTO target in Vancouver and Edmonton," Fox said. "With both Western Canadian clubs losing some blueline depth over the summer."

The Kelowna, British Columbia native is a proven winner, hoisting the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years with the Pittsburgh Penguins and is well known to Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin from their time together in the Steel City.

No matter where Schultz has gone, he's helped produce offence consistently and has 324 points in 745 career games in the National Hockey League. Last season with the Seattle Kraken, Schultz had 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists), 22 penalty minutes and was a minus-23.

If the Canucks do decide to bring Schultz to training camp on a PTO, it'll be interesting to see what role he's thrown into. Suppose he's able to land a contract with the Canucks after the PTO in training camp. In that case, he'd likely be in and out of the lineup and on the third pair, especially given the team's additions this summer, but he would provide them with a nice depth piece capable of putting up 20+ points and averaging 16+ minutes a night.

Source: Sports Illustrated
Canucks, Oilers Considering PTO for Former Champion