Kings waive Schultz; roster moves coming

The Kings have waived defenseman Jeff Schultz, according to multiple sources on Sunday morning.

Bob McKenzie of TSN listed Schultz amongst a group of 37 players waived:

Ebbett PIT, Connor PIT, Street CGY, Liles TOR, Cormier WPG, Pardy WPG, Schultz LA, Desbiens COL, Sulzer BUF. That’s all, folks.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) September 29, 2013

Not that you need any confirmation for a Bob McKenzie report, but Renaud Lavoie also tweeted the Schultz news:

Waivers: Jones, Blair CGY Bickel, Stu NYR Powe, Darroll NYR Janssen, Cam N.J Cormier, Patrice WPG Schultz, Jeff L.A Desbiens, Guillaume COL

— Renaud Lavoie (@LavoieRenaud) September 29, 2013

 

Schultz, 27, was bought out of his contract by the Washington Capitals and signed to a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Kings in July. The 6-foot-6 defender engineered a career year in 2009-10 with 23 points (3-20=23) and a league-best plus-50 rating before losing playing time under Washington coaches Dale Hunter and Adam Oates. He cleared waivers in early July before signing with the Kings.

His signing appeared to offer the Kings a stay-at-home defensive option and perhaps some insurance based on Willie Mitchell’s ability to return from a knee injury that caused him to miss the entire 2012-13 season. Schultz recorded one assist and a plus-4 rating in three preseason games.

Los Angeles’ roster will be reduced to 27 players with Schultz’s departure. Once the Kings settle on one back-up goaltender, roster moves will need to be made to bring the roster down to the 23-man limit by Monday afternoon.

At this point, it does not appear probable that Tanner Pearson, Linden Vey or Tyler Toffoli will open the season on the team’s 23-man roster. I mostly agree with the group that John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor penciled out on his site, though with Alec Martinez’s conditioning lauded by Darryl Sutter and his strong showing late in the preseason – and Jake Muzzin’s minor knee injury – I’d lean towards Martinez skating alongside Matt Greene when for the season opener in Minnesota on Thursday.

With Schultz’s exit, and with a 23-man roster that would include Ben Scrivens but not Pearson, Vey or Toffoli, the Kings would be cap compliant by just over $600,000, according to CapGeek.com.