Inside the Flyers: Schultz, low on depth chart in offseason, has thrived

Surprises have marked the first five-plus weeks of the Flyers' season, topped by winger Jake Voracek's emergence as one of the NHL's top scorers.

But an under-the-radar development has helped keep the injury-plagued team afloat: the steady play of Nick Schultz, who signed as a free agent in July and figured to be the Flyers' seventh defenseman.

At least he figured to be No. 7 to most observers.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, however, was not one of them.

"I said at the time, we have seven defensemen who are good defensemen," Hextall said the other day. "I've seen Nick Schultz play since he was 19. I was scouting in those years. He's a good player, a solid player. He's a competitor. He settles things down. When I say that, I don't mean with poise with the puck necessarily, but just in the terms of positioning. He's almost always in the right position, and he has one of the better defensive sticks - and that's huge."

After a disappointing season, Schultz's career has had a rebirth. Because of injuries, he has spent most of the season on the Flyers' No. 2 defensive pairing, alongside Michael Del Zotto. Heading into the weekend, the stay-at-home defenseman had played 13 games and had four points - one fewer than he had in 69 combined games with Edmonton and Columbus last season - and a plus-6 rating.

Schultz, 32, has resembled the player who had 10 mostly productive seasons with Minnesota before being dealt to Edmonton for Tom Gilbert in 2012. Schultz was selected by Minnesota in the second round (33d overall) of the 2000 draft. It was the Wild's first draft, and Schultz has played in more games (743) than anyone in the franchise's history.

"A lot of people thought he was done after last year, and I just thought he had an off year," Hextall said. "He's a pro. You saw him at the start of the year [when he wasn't playing] - he didn't say a word. He just worked hard, and he got his chance, and he's taken advantage of it.

"Am I surprised? Not really, but I'm happy with the way he's played."

In other words, Hextall thought the 6-foot-1, 203-pound Schultz was as good as some of the Flyers' top-six defensemen when he signed him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal.

"He was a top-six player this summer, without a doubt," Hextall said. "I didn't view him as a seven. Quite honestly, if I viewed him as a seven, I wouldn't have paid him what we paid him."

Schultz, 32, said he has gotten into a rhythm because he has played regularly since the second game of the season.

"You get into a routine and you're relied upon, it makes it much easier," he said. "We have a good team here, and we're in every game, so it's fun to be a part of that and help out in any way you can."

When Schultz signed, six defensemen were ahead of him: Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Nick Grossmann, Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, and Luke Schenn. About a month later, Timonen was sidelined by blood clots, and the Flyers quickly signed Del Zotto to fill the void.

"I knew the situation coming here, but I thought it was a great opportunity to be a part of a good team and try to get my career back on track a little bit," Schultz said. "I didn't know what to expect coming in. I just wanted to work hard, and there were a couple injuries early on and I was fortunate to get in sooner than maybe I would have. Like anything, you have to try to take advantage of opportunities you're given."

Del Zotto is the puck mover on the pairing, Schultz the dependable defender who stays back and allows his partner to make offensive rushes.

"As you play with somebody longer, you get confidence in one another and where the other is going to be and their tendencies," Schultz said. "It's come a long way, and it's fun when you can build that chemistry over time."

And fun to show that, after 12-plus NHL seasons, your career can still be reborn.

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