Schultz regained his confidence in Pittsburgh
Schultz, a member of the Edmonton Oilers for the previous three-plus seasons at that time, was waiting to learn his future.
With the Oilers on the cusp of missing the playoffs for the 10th straight season, the organization wanted to make changes. One of those changes was the team's desire to move Schultz.
The 6-foot-2, 193-pound blueliner had heard the rumors of his trade. In the early afternoon, Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli made it official with a call to Schultz informing the defenseman that his new destination would be in Pittsburgh.
Over the course of the next season-and-a-half with the Pens, Schultz would take his game to new heights while winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with the club.
"It's crazy how it worked out," Schultz said. "How I got such a good opportunity to come play with a great team, a great organization, help anyway I could.
"It's been unbelievable. It's obviously the best two years of my life. To win it once was awesome. To win it last year was crazy. It was so much fun, so rewarding. It was just awesome."
Schultz will now have an opportunity to add to his magical run after signing a new three-year contract with the Pens on Saturday with a $5.5 million average annual value.
Re-signing with the Pens was the easiest decision of Schultz's career. There was no place he'd rather be than in Pittsburgh.
"I wanted to come back. It was always Pittsburgh and I knew something would get done," Schultz said. "It's nice to be back in Pittsburgh for another three years. It's where I want to play. I'm excited to come back and help the team as much as I can."
There is no doubt Schultz resurrected his career in Pittsburgh. He was a highly touted prospect entering the 2008 NHL Draft and was selected in the second-round (43rd overall) by Anaheim.
After opting not to sign a contract with the Ducks, Schultz was sought after by many NHL teams. He eventually chose to sign with Edmonton and earned a spot on the NHL's All-Rookie Team in 2012-13 after posting 27 points (8G-19A) in 48 games.
But Schultz struggled over the course of his tenure with the Oilers. At the time of his trade he was a combined minus-78 in 248 career games with Edmonton.
Schultz posted 8 points (1G-7A) and a plus-7 in 18 games with the Pens to finish the 2015-16 season. He then added four assists in 15 postseason games to help Pittsburgh capture the Stanley Cup.
Although Schultz hit the open market in the summer of 2016, he opted to take a pay cut and re-signed with the Pens for a one-year deal for $1.4 million.
The deal ended up being a steal as Schultz enjoyed his best season in the NHL, setting career highs across the board in goals (12), assists (39), points (51) and a plus-27 in 78 contests.
"I got my confidence back, started playing my game again," he said of his success. "I had great teammates and leaders that help you along the way. I can't thank them enough."
Schultz was a major reason the Pens were able to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2017. With the club missing its top defenseman in Kris Letang, whose season ended in February due to a shoulder injury, Schultz took on a larger role.
The Kelowna, British Columbia native took over as the club's power-play quarterback and chipped in 10 points (3G-7A) in 15 playoff games. An injury forced him out of the lineup for four games during the Eastern Conference Final. Schultz returned for the crucial Game 7 and posted a goal and two points in Pittsburgh's dramatic double-overtime victory.
Schultz appreciates both championship seasons, but said the second one was more meaningful because he was with the Pens for the entire season and played a larger role in the achievement.
"They're both unbelievable," Schultz said. "I think this one for me was a little sweeter because of the bigger role and it was tougher for us. We got the end result and it was everything you dream of."
And now that he's a Penguin for the foreseeable future, the dream is to help the team three-peat next season.
"I always wanted to come back," he said. "It was a great team. It helped me a lot. We won the second Cup in a row. It doesn't get much better than that.
"It's been a fun two years obviously and looking forward to doing it more."
