Where Will NCAA Standout Justin Schultz Go?

These things have an odd way of (not) working out. Fabian Brunnstrom. Jonas Gustavsson. Vladimir Krutov.

Will Justin Schultz fall into line with them, or will he take the road less traveled to a star-studded NHL career?

Schultz led all NCAA defencemen in points last year, and the Wisconsin Badgers alum finished as a runner-up for the Hobey Baker award for college MVP. He was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2008, but failed to come to terms on a contract with them. Now, he’s submitted a short list of teams to talk to, with the Edmonton Oiler and Vancouver Canucks (reportedly) at the top of it.

There’s always a warning with players like these. It’s never as good as it’s supposed to be.

Then again, watch the above video and Schultz looks like a dynamo. And, if you’re the Oilers – who have zero defencemen – or the Canucks – who should be in desperate need to fill a roster spot once Sami Salo retires/dies or Keith Ballard is finally murdered in a staged robbery-gone-bad by head coach Alain Vigneault.

And, in Schultz’s case, he gets the dream scenario that any NHL-bound player would… well, dream of. At least one team will sign him, and he’ll get into the ‘Chel. He also gets to pick where he’s going, which normally isn’t afforded anyone until they’re overrated and middle-aged.

Schultz is 22, and he can either go and join an emerging Oilers roster, play for his home-province Canucks (Schultz is a Kelowna kid), or join hockey’s greatest franchise, the Detroit Red Wings.

Oh yeah, they’re in it, too. And, just like the RCMP, the Red Wings always get their man.

Of course, they don’t TASER people in airports until they die or sexually and verbally abuse their female co-workers, but that’s for a different day.