Today, the Blue Jackets announced the signing of NHL/AHL veteran forward Zac Rinaldo to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $275,000 at the AHL level, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He'll likely spend most, if not all, of his time with AHL Cleveland, but Rinaldo can provide depth if there are injury issues in Columbus.
Rinaldo, 31, has tallied 18-24-42 in 374 NHL games. In the AHL, he's notched 11-20-31 in 143 games. He's not going to light up the scoresheet, but Rinaldo is known to be someone that stands up for his teammates. However, that fire has gotten Rinaldo in trouble many times, as he has a track record of several suspensions at the AHL and NHL levels for hits that were decidedly dirty. He hasn't been suspended since December of 2017, so perhaps Rinaldo has turned over a new leaf.
The Ontario native was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but he's bounced around a lot. He's seen time with the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, and Boston Bruins. Rinaldo played four games for the Flames last year, failing to register a point while notching one shot on goal.
