How excited are you that Justin Schultz might be a Leaf? I'm not

Free-agent defenseman Justin Schultz reportedly has cut his list of desirable teams to sign with to five. TSN reported Wednesday that the Canucks, Maple Leafs, Rangers, Senators and Oilers have made the cut. TSN reported that with his final list of teams set, he'll begin another round of talks.

Schultz, a 21-year-old 2008 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, became an unrestricted free agent last week when he withdrew from the University of Wisconsin and failed to reach a deal with the Ducks in the team's exclusive 30-day negotiating window.

A two-time Hobey Baker Award finalist at Wisconsin, Schultz is considered by many scouts as the best player not currently in the NHL.

Schultz is eligible for a two-year, entry-level contract, so the financial package from each team is the same. Instead, he's looking for the best roster fit, including a chance to step onto a team and play top-four defense minutes right away. And the native of West Kelowna, B.C., also reportedly would like to play for a Canadian team, preferably in the west.

Excuse me for not drooling over the propect of Schultz suiting up for the Leafs. The NHL rinks are littered with free agent signing from U.S. colleges and Europe that have not lived up to their billing. The Maple Leafs under Brian Burke have been quite active in signing these players - Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson, Rikard Wallin, Jonas Gustavsson, Brayden Irwin, Jussi Rynnas, Mark Owuya, Ben Scrivens, and Spencer Abbott. And why not sign them since it's not like you given anything to sign them but there is a reason why these guys didn't get picked up in the Amateur Draft.