Schultz, Shattenkirk, DeAngelo, & Giordano Still Expected To Sign This Season

As training camps kick off, there are still some notable UFA defensemen without contracts or PTOs. The group of four that should be signed at some point before the season or early on are Justin Schultz, Kevin Shattenkirk, Tony DeAngelo, and Mark Giordano. Every single one of them has made an impact on their teams over the past couple of seasons and are better than what some teams have on their roster and in the mix for spots.

According to Frank Seravalli, Schultz may just be the top unsigned defenseman still available and received multiple firm offers from NHL clubs. It appears as though he is waiting for the right fit and a place where he can get the most playing time and opportunity. He most recently played for the Seattle Kraken, scoring seven goals and 26 points in 70 games. He is also a two-time Stanley Cup winner and would fit in well on the third pairing somewhere.

Shattenkirk has always been someone who is effective on the power play and can run a second unit. He is also a former Cup winner, but after logging 19-22 minutes per game in three consecutive seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, his ice time dropped in Boston last season. He was effective in the 61 games he played, scoring six goals, 18 points, 11 power-play points, as well as hitting and blocking shots. He can reach 1000 career games if he plays in just 48. He has failed to reach that amount of games in a season just twice over a 14-year career.

DeAngelo should have a contract already, even if he wasn't an everyday player on a very good Carolina Hurricanes defense last season. Since 2019-20, he has played for three different teams, recording 10+ goals and 40+ points for each in 64-70 games per season. He will be 29 years old this season and it's not all that easy to find scoring from the back-end, especially on the right side.

Giordano, despite his age, is still very capable of playing in the NHL. Since he has yet to retire and has gotten interest in 4-6 teams thus far, he should sign somewhere soon. Teams who are either chasing a Stanley Cup and want some depth or teams that have young defensemen in need of some leadership have both shown interest. Either are good options for him depending on what he wants from this season. If he wants a Cup in possibly his final season in the NHL, a contender would be the way to go. If he wants more playing time, the younger team is the more likely option. He's still very much in shape for NHL standards.