Unrestricted free agent left winger Jiri Tlusty has found a new home for this season as he has signed with Karpat Oulu of the SM-liiga, the Finnish team announced (link in Finnish).
It has been a rough year and a half for Tlusty to say the least. Despite a decent 31 point season in 2014-15, he struggled to find work, eventually settling for a one year, $800K deal with New Jersey after a training camp tryout which at the time seemed like a significant bargain.
Things didn’t go too well for Tlusty with the Devils. He had a minor role with the team and found himself as a healthy scratch at times before a wrist injury ended his season in January. He finished with just two goals and two assists in 30 games while averaging 13:43 per night.
He once again struggled to find a contract during the summer and eventually agreed to join Colorado on a tryout deal. However, he wound up failing his physical and was released before ever suiting up for the Avalanche. He wasn’t able to secure a shot with another team so he has now turned to Finland to try to restore his value.
Tlusty is still just 28 years old and has some success under his belt in the NHL, collecting 177 points (89-88-177) in 446 games with Toronto, Carolina, Winnipeg, and New Jersey. If he has a strong season with Karpat, he could be back on the NHL radar before too long.