The Calgary Flames announced they have signed forward Zac Rinaldo to a one-year, two-way contract for $700K AAV. The 29-year-old was on a professional tryout with the Flames and he obviously did enough to earn himself a contract. Puckpedia reports Rinaldo will get $175K in the minors and gets $225K guaranteed in the deal.
The forward is known as a gritty bottom-six player, and while he saw some significant time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Arizona Coyotes, Rinaldo has struggled finding a full-time job with an NHL team. He played last year for the Nashville Predators, splitting his time with the NHL squad and the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. He played 23 games with Nashville last season, scoring one goal and three points and 20 penalty minutes. Overall, Rinaldo has played 351 career games with 15 goals, 37 points and 317 penalty minutes.
Rinaldo played in four preseason games for the Flames, picking up two assists, while playing an average of 11:02 of ATOI. While the team looks to have a set opening day roster, what the team really lacks is depth as there are only a handful of solid options the team can recall in case of injuries, especially for a team that is coming off a first-place finish in the Pacific Division last season. Rinaldo might be the perfect player who can either stay on the Flames’ roster as the 13th man or give the Stockton Heat some veteran leadership until the team needs him.
haha he’s back
when and if he plays may as well put him in the sin bin( penalty box) before game he can come out when not serving penalty time it’s where he will spend most of time anyway.
Gerald – can’t you just see Wes McCauley scream out just before opening puck drop: “36-Calgary TWO FOR PREMEDITATED STUPIDITY!”
in his defense, he has kept his PIM under one per game the last two years. much better than his earlier years.
Totally agreed Mac, seen so many games of Flyers when he was a young , had to turn channel cause couldn’t watch him wanna fight everyone and make bad decisions on ice when it counted ,hardly seen him with puck, provided little to no scoring.
Much like McLeod – they both seem to think they’re only out for TV face time and to collect bad PIMs.