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Penguins sign Schultz to one-year, $1.4 million deal

2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Six

SAN JOSE, CA - JUNE 12: Justin Schultz #4 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with the Stanley Cup after their 3-1 victory to win the Stanley Cup against the San Jose Sharks in Game Six of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Final at SAP Center on June 12, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing back Justin Schultz. They’ve signed the 26-year-old defenseman to a one-year, $1.4 million contract.

Schultz earned $3.9 million last season, so he’s taken a significant pay cut. He was briefly an unrestricted free agent after the Penguins chose not to extend him a qualifying offer in June.

But he’s found a good spot in Pittsburgh, after struggling under the weight of expectations in Edmonton. His new contract reflects a player who can do good things offensively, but still needs to be sheltered defensively.

“Justin’s a guy that, when we acquired him, we thought he could help us play the identity or the type of game that we want to play,” head coach Mike Sullivan said during the Penguins’ Stanley Cup run. “He’s a very good puck mover. He has good offensive instincts. He has good mobility. He can really shoot the puck. And so we’ve tried to put him in positions where he can play to those strengths, and he’s done a real good job for us. He doesn’t try to do too much. He plays within himself.”

Schultz played 15 playoff games for the Pens and had four assists.