Justin Schultz has spent the previous two seasons with the Seattle Kraken and is surprisingly still a free agent.

Justin Schultz has spent the previous two seasons with the Seattle Kraken and is surprisingly still a free agent.

The 34-year-old played in 70 games last year and scored seven goals and 26 points. His career-high came with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2016-17 season where he recorded 12 goals and 51 points. 

The two-time Stanley Cup champion is a bit past his prime but his puck-moving and offensive abilities from the point could be valuable for teams who are lacking those characteristics on their defence core. 

Teams that have been rumoured to be interested or are seen as a potential destination for the veteran blueliner are the San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres and the Utah HC. The Sharks are in a full-on rebuild and are looking for veteran defensemen who can play a mentor role. The Sabres and Utah are further along in their rebuild as they are trying to find players who will help them earn a playoff spot. 

Utah has made big moves this offseason headlined by their trade to acquire Mikhail Sergachev. 

The Kraken have decided to move on from Schultz, opening a roster spot for Ryker Evans and also signing Josh Mahura to a league-minimum deal to be their seventh defenseman. 

His experience and offensive capabilities will land him a contract in the near future. 

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