Assuming it's an 82gm season, why wouldn't he have a shot at 40pts?

He's playing with the next great group of offensive players. He's going to be given every chance in the world alongside them. He was lusted after by about 20 (or more) teams, which leads me to think he's got legit skill. And he's basically got no competition for PP time (with apologies to Whitney and, I dunno, Potter).

Shattenkirk had 43pts in a later start split between an okay scoring team in Col and a low-scoring team in StL.

Fowler had 40 on a high-scoring Ducks team that had a huge PP.

Subban had 38pts in Montreal as a rookie.

John Carlson had 37 with Washington.

Jake Gardiner just had 30pts in Toronto, but only 7 pp points.

The point is - Schultz may not hit 40. In fact, it would be a really good rookie year if he did. But to say he has no chance is ridiculous. His situation is about as good as it can get for a young, offensive-minded defensman.

Just because he didn't sign with your team doesn't automatically mean Schultz is an over-rated dog.

Of course he can do it. But most people are skeptical to make such a projection for fantasy hockey expectations. Most prospects need a bit of time before they deliver the goods.

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No one is saying it's impossible. I just think it's important to be realistic. Only 19 defencemen hit 40 points last year.

So to expect Schultz to be top-20 in d-men scoring in his rookie season is pretty lofty expectations. I do think he'll get low-to-mid-30's, though, assuming a full 82 game season, which would put him top 30-40 in d-men scoring.

Dont forget Whitney. He may never be a 50+ pt D-man again, but he certainly was that as recently as 2 years ago (27 pts in 35 games), he is apparently in the best shape he has been in for years, and as a result the job of running the Oiler powerplay is his to lose. As the Oil are likely to go 4 fwds on the PP that means Schultz most likely runs PP2 this year.

There is also Petry to consider, and then at evens you've got those 2 and probably Smid and the other Schultz ahead of him on the chart. If our coaching is smart (which is questionable sometimes) they ease him in this year with some 3rd pair time, and move him up when the seemingly invevitable injury bug hits.

All of which means no, he will not score 40 this year. But by Odin's beard it won't be long.

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12 team league
G, A, STPts, +/-, PIMs, GAA, S%, W
Start 12 fwds, 7 d, 3 g; keep full starting roster + 3 on farm
(Salary cap = 1200)

F: Malkin(55) Perry(75) Hall(125) Stepan(20) Wheeler(20) Ott(35) Okposo(50) Strome(25) Drouin(55) MacKinnon(55) Nyquist(30) Rattie(25) Atkinson(15) Brouwer(25) Hertl(15) Plekanec(25)
D: Weber(65) jSchultz(30) Keith(40) Ellis(25) Orlov(20) Gormley(15) Morrow(25) Pouliot(25) Klefbom(25) Hedman(105) Dillon(25)
G: Rinne(40) Lindback(25) Khudobin(30) Allen(25) Svedberg(25) Enroth(35) Jones(15) Greiss(15)

not likely 40pts.
1)he's never played through the rigours of a full 82 game schedule so he's likely to come out hot at the beginning of the season but then his lack of conditioning past 40 games or so he will start to get tired and see a drop in the second half of the season. also conisder if it's a full season it will be condensed which is even more tiring.
2) whitney is the top pp option, schultz will be pp 2 until whitney gets hurt. so his top pp minutes will be sporadic as whitney comes and goes.

Not at the moment, lol!

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G,A,PPP,+/-,SOG,Hits,Blocks,Wins,GAA,SV% - Keep 4
4C-Kopitar,M.Koivu,Stepan,Matthias,Prospal
4L-Marleau,Steen,M.Foligno,N.Foligno,Morrow,Umberger
4R-Hossa,Hornqvist,Little,Alfredsson,Oshie
6D-Byfuglien,Phaneuf,Doughty,J.Johnson,Burns,Wideman, Kostka,Methot
2G-M.Smith,Backstrom,Reimer

12 Team Salary Cap Roto Dynasty 3rd (G,A,Pts,FPts,DPts,Pim,SOG,H,BS,W+OTL+SO,GAA,SV%)
12F-Ovechkin,Kopitar,P&E Kane,Kessel,Ryan,M&N Foligno,Ennis,Hodgson,Killorn,Horton,Wolski,Morrow ,Bonino
6D-Subban,J.Johnson,Carle,Wizniewski,Franson,Spurgeon ,Kostka,M.Fraser
2G-Rask,Anderson,Emery
Farm-Markstrom,Scrivens,Brunner,Nyquist,G.Bourque,B.Con nolly,T.Barrie,Brennan,Barberio,Orlov

Good one, haha !

From my pt of view there is also a huge difference between been dominant into University level where you only play arround 40 games by season and been dominant on a full NHL level at 82 games ! He will need some time.

As much as I love Whitney he'll never be in the best shape again.
He's too injury-prone and I highly doubt that he'll ever be close to 100% in his carrer again.

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F: Crosby | Malkin | Ovechkin | Giroux | Toews | Perry | Bergeron | Kovalchuk (IR) | Duchene | Benn | Backes | Callahan | Landeskog | E. Staal | J. Staal | Galchenyuk | Gallagher | Silfverberg | Doan
D: Letang (IR) | Seabrook | Keith | Girardi | Green | Ehrhoff | Ellis | Kulikov | Trouba | Beaulieu | Spurgeon | M. Staal (IR) |
G: Lundqvist | Fleury

2006: 9th | 2007: 5th | 2008: 5th | 2009: 2nd | 2010: 1st | 2011: 1st |

I stated in a thread a while ago he could easily hit 40 when he signed with Edmonton. Nothing has changed since then.

Just because all the teams are lusting after an undrafted player doesn't mean he's got legit skill. There's been countless busts in the past (Brunnstrom, Da Costa are the top two that come to mind) of a player that a lot of teams lusted after that didn't pan out.

Do I think Schultz can be a 40-point guy? Yes, but not this year. Sure, he's had a great start in OC. But he's played what, four games? Let's see if he's still doing that in game 60. And then let's see if he can do that in game 60while matched up against guys like Datsyuk, Iginla, Thornton, Parise, Doughty, Keith, etc. on a nightly basis. My answer is no.

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Top 8 forwards, 5 dmen and 2 goalies count.

We keep 8 forwards, 5 dmen, 2 goalies & 1 rookie.

Forwards: Malkin, Stamkos, Getzlaf, Hall, Kunitz, St. Louis, Kadri, Gaborik, Hartnell, Brunner, Weiss, Bouchard, McDonald, Connolly
Defence: Letang, Enstrom, Schultz, Markov, Keith, Carle
Goalies: Price, Niemi, Brodeur

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