Schultz had 16 goals, 44 points in 37 games this season for the University of Wisconsin. (Getty Images)

When looking at the list of defensemen on the unrestricted free-agent market, the natual reaction by most has been to bemoan its quality. Sure, Ryan Suter is excellent and Matt Carle is nice, but after that there are a lot of question marks.

If you aren't worried about where the market will stand come Sunday, consider that Florida defenseman Jason Garrison could be receiving an offer in the are of $4.5 million per season or perhaps even more.

But one player out there who won't cost a lot of money yet will be courted by just about every team -- correction, is being courted by just about every team -- is Justin Schultz. In case you don't know who he is, Schultz is the former second-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 but he never signed with them. Instead he went to college at the University of Wisconsin and was a Hobey Baker finalist in each of the last two seasons.

Because he never inked a deal with the Ducks, he's now a free agent. However he can only sign a two-year entry-level deal. Thus, this won't be a bidding war for Schultz's services. Instead he will be comparing all the teams on everything but the money sin that is a constant.

Don't underestimate how highly this kid is though of either. He is currently the holder of that tag "best player not in the NHL" at the moment by the pundits. Just a little more about the type of player he is, this is a scouting report from Craig Button to NHL.com.

"His foundation of skating is excellent," NHL Network analyst Craig Button told NHL.com. "He has speed, quickness and agility and is able to use his abilities to beat pressure defensively and to move into advantageous positions and be a threat offensively. He can speed up the game or slow it down and is very elusive. He has great awareness and poise with the puck and is able to make plays on the move or when stationary. He doesn't panic under pressure and is always aware and can adapt to changing circumstances instantly. He has a calming influence when he has the puck and while he can quickly strike, he doesn't force plays. He's an excellent passer and he has that panoramic vision that allows him to 'spread the ice,' so to speak, and to be able to attack opponents with multiple options. That makes it extremely difficult to shut him down. He has a very good shot, and along with his passing, it keeps goalies and defenders on their heels. He is unique in that he seems to play the game just ahead of the pressure and not in a hurried manner, but with tremendous confidence and an assuredness that is intimidating.

"Overall, he's a player who is capable of controlling the pace and tempo of play when he has the puck. He's a player who wants to make a difference in the game. I think he has a chance to be a top-end defenseman."

Considering every team in the NHL is always looking for more defensemen, you can see why teams are knocking on his door. Technically, teams have been free to talk to him for the past two days but like the rest of the free agents, he can't sign with a team until July 1 at the earliest.

The question everybody wants to know now is where does Schultz want to go? Well he seems to have an idea that cuts the field down to about, oh, seven teams or so. From ESPN's Craig Custance:

Obviously the Maple Leafs, who are always looking to upgrade the defense, are in the hunt. As are the Canucks, who are the team closest to Schultz's hometown of Kelowna B.C. and then the Flames and Oilers as well. The Western Canada teams and Toronto.

But as Custance notes, there are American teams trying to get in the equation. The Flyers are interested, but perhaps none are more interested than the Detroit Red Wings. They have some rebuilding to do on the blue line and thus have an open spot right now. GM Ken Holland is making no bones about it, one of those top four spots would belong to Schultz if he picks the Wings.

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"We've contacted his agents to express the Detroit Red Wings are interested in signing him to a contract," Holland told MLive.com. "We think there's a tremendous opportunity in Detroit.

"With the loss of Nicklas Lidstrom [retirement] and Brad Stuart [signed with San Jose], there's a tremendous opportunity. We're trying to rebuild on the fly. We think he would be a good fit."

Remember, Detroit is really close to Canada so if that's Schultz's big sticking point, he could sign with the Wings and live in Windsor.

Then, just to add a little more drama on top of all of this, Elliotte Friedman of the CBC put out this note in his weekly column. This could be something to keep an eye on.

Schultz's suitors are wondering if Anaheim still plans to file tampering charges the moment someone actually signs him. It's a tough process. You're obligated to hand over whatever correspondence the NHL desires.

The courtship of Schultz is one of the more interesting we'll see for some time. The playing field is even, it's a matter of selling the franchise and the team, not the money to Schultz. It's a lot easier to go with your heart in that situation.

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