Bruins acquire Zac Rinaldo from Flyers
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| Photo via Kim Klement, USA Today Sports |
The Bruins hope that the twenty-five year old enforcer will help bring some energy on the fourth line, and add some toughness to a team which has just lost a lot of it with the trading of Milan Lucic. Rinaldo has nowhere near the skill of Milan Lucic, and he is not going to be Lucic's "replacement," but his ability as a fighter and an instigator may be something a team like the Bruins could utilize.
For those of you saying that the Bruins "are idiots for trying to replace Lucic with Rinaldo," you need to rethink that statement. Sure, Milan Lucic did fight a lot. But he also was a second line forward who at times was the key piece to the Bruins' offense, especially during the two runs to the Stanley Cup Finals. Rinaldo will never be that type of player, and there is no way he is in the lineup for 82 games. Rinaldo will likely see a lot of time in Providence and watching games from the eighth floor, but expect him to get his fair share of minutes in 2015. This isn't the Bruins replacing Lucic, its them simply adding some size and some toughnes.
Zac Rinaldo makes $750,000 a year, which really does not hurt the salary cap. You cannot have a team of just skilled players. There needs to be a balance of toughness and talent. Otherwise your team will get pushed around and embarrassed like the 2011 Vancouver Canucks.
Rinaldo will serve as an energy player in some games like he did in Philadelphia. This isn't a key free agent addition and it isn't something to get upset over and criticize the Bruins for, but its an interesting move to say the least.
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