"It was a little bit of a shock, I wasn't expecting it, but it's something where Minnesota wanted to kind of shake it up [because] things haven't been going well the last little while," Schultz told 630 CHED on Tuesday. "I hope it works out well for them."
Schultz says he thought Wild GM Chuck Fletcher was joking when he pulled him into his office after practice on Monday and delivered the news, but insists he's now looking forward to trying to fit in with his new team.
"I just want to come in and be consistent, be steady and be reliable," said Schultz, who joins the Oilers after spending the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota. "I think in the NHL it's a long, tough season and you've got to be ready to go out and perform each and every night. I just try to go out and be consistent, bring that work ethic, be reliable for the coaching staff and be counted on in situations to go out and play and get the job done."
The 29-year-old put up three points in 62 games with the Wild this season prior to the trade and says if you're looking for flashy plays, they won't be coming from him. That being said, he recognizes that the Oilers have a lot of great talent up front, players who are more than capable of providing that flash if he's able to get them the puck.
"I think what makes good teams is players come in and they understand their role and they understand what they bring to their team," explained Schultz. "You just want to integrate yourself into the team and be a part of it and hopefully help out."
As the Oilers continue to build towards a team that will hopefully compete for a Stanley Cup in the near future, expect Schultz to hold it down on the back end -- but don't expect it to make the highlight reel.
