Ex-Oilers defenceman Schultz finds new team but not in the NHL

Former Edmonton Oilers defenceman Justin Schultz has finally landed a contract, though not one he was initially looking for.

After months of waiting in hopes of finding a new NHL home, Schultz will instead head overseas and join HC Lugano in Switzerland’s National League (NL) for the remainder of the season.

As reported recently, Justin Schultz was searching for a unique opportunity in the later stages of his career. He's found that with HC Lugano in Switzerland and signed a contract for the remainder of the year.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 23, 2024

Schultz, who spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Kraken, was linked to several teams late this summer, including the Oilers. Many believed the Oilers might go the free-agency route to bolster their right side following the departures of Cody Ceci and Vincent Desharnais.

Ultimately, the Oilers chose to stand pat, at least for the time being, and Schultz could not find work in the NHL anywhere else. He had his fair share of struggles in 2023-24 with the Kraken, putting up a team-worst plus/minus of -23 through 70 games.

Despite things not going the way he would have liked this season, Schultz has had quite the NHL career. The 34-year-old came into the league with plenty of hype following a great college career and wound up playing his first 248 games on the Oilers’ back end.

He struggled at times with the Oilers, largely due to the team’s struggles as a whole. It was during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, however, that he flourished, playing a big role in each of their Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. During that 2017 run, he led their back end with 13 points in just 21 games.

Now headed to Lugano, Schultz will join former Oilers teammate Mark Arcobello, who logged 78 games with the organization from 2013 to 2015. The undersized yet highly skilled forward has been a big-time point producer in the NL for several seasons and finds himself with eight points through 12 games in 2024-25.

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