Tootoo waived (thank god)

[yave1964]

  Jordin Tootoo was placed on Waivers today.

 

Tootoo will be assigned to Grand Rapids if he is not claimed, which is unlikely as he has this year and next at an average cap hit of 1.9 million a year left on his deal.

  It explains the Winnipeg game, why Babs had Tootoo on the starting line, why Tootoo had twenty five family members and friends there, why he got in a fight 14 seconds into the game and grinned and took off his helmet and hammed it up all the way to the penalty box.

  Tootoo in all likelihood knows this is the end of the road for him in the NHL. The Wings have been trying to find someone to take him off their hands for a seventh round pick, with no takers. I believe they would take an autographed Jimmy Carson hockey card, but again nobody wants him at that ridiculous contract for a fourth liner.

  Tootoo is a little guy who plays a big mans game. His game is checking and hitting and fighting, he has fought more than anyone as a wing since Aaron Downey and Brad May, which is not a compliment, they sucked too. Tootoo likes to shoot the puck, just not on net. I have never seen someone so consistently miss the net by ten feet to the left as him. And fighting? He is willing to lose a fight to about anyone in the league. I don't think I saw a single instance where I felt he 'won' the fight in a year and a half here. But he is willing to go back the next night and get beat up again and again, which has to count for something.

  Everyone knows of the tragic issues that occurred with his brother, everyone knows about his drug and alcohol issues a few years ago .I sympathize with him and admire his perseverance in the face of adversity. But the simple fact is he cannot play.

  The only good thing about Jordin coming over from Nashville is those damn annoying whistles did not follow him. If they had I would have lost my mind.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  When he signed the deal, I think the Wings somehow thought he was slightly miscast on the Preds, and thought he might be able to supply some pts/goals from the bottom six. That has obviously not been the case. A glaring rare error by Holland. Well, the minors will save them just under a mill on this contract. That's the only good news. Jordan is a kind of underdog that is fun to cheer for, but it's become painfully obvious he does not belong in the NHL.

[yave1964]

@jammer2

 

When the Wings signed him I cringed, we had just lost in the first round to a physical Predators team and the decision was to get tougher by getting a 4 foot 10 guy who fights and loses all the time. And sign him to a three year deal at 1.9 million a year. I still cant believe the signing.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  Seeing Holland overpay like that just confirms my line of thinking...it's nearly impossible to add a tough guy who plays a decent game. Kenny boy was really desperate to add grit, and projected offensive production that was just not there. The Habs spent 2.5 mill of cap space to add Prust, who scored a whopping 1 goal the season before. That's why guy like Hartnell make so much, teams are desperate to add grit/toughness, these odd moves only strengthens my theory. That is also why the Bruins never gave up on Lucic despite him sucking for large parts of the short year last season. That is also why the Canucks were so willing to give up Cody Hodgson...just the hope that Kassian could turn into a power forward was enough to make them pull the trigger. PIMs and offensive production are the hardest thing for a GM to acquire.

[yave1964]

@jammer2

 

  I like the way Chicago is built, yeah, they have the odd Brookbank or last year watching from the bench or the press box a Dan Carcillo, but mostly it is a one for all all for one club. Bollig, Bickel, Shaw all were physical against the Wings in the post season, as a matter of fact the matchup between Bickel and Cleary was one of the best one on one battles of the post season.

  Guys like Tootoo are worthless, they provide no spark offensively, and come post season you cant play them anyway. I would rather give the roster spot to a kid then to a guy like Tootoo any day of the week.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  Agreed, guys like Bickell, who provide toughness and must be accounted for in the defensive zone are perfect. The Hawks management is so smart, no glaring holes.

[yave1964]

@yave1964  Agreed, guys like Bickell, who provide toughness and must be accounted for in the defensive zone are perfect. The Hawks management is so smart, no glaring holes.

Bickel is a guy who could play for me any time and he doesn't have to goon it up. Shaw, while not a PIM player was one tough little SOB in the Western conference last year. I was amazed the guy got so little ink, he hit everything, but cleanly, and put himself in a bad position to get the puck repeatedly, sacrificed himself time and again. I fell in love with both of them in the post season last year.

Edited November 8, 2013 by yave1964

[WingNut722]

@yave1964 

 

I was intrigued when Holland signed Tootoo.  I know the Red Wings wanted to add a bit more grit to help protect their stars, but there just wasn't room.  Tootoo is a scrappy kinda guy and there is a place for him, but you're right, the cap hit is too much for someone who doesn't show too much offensive prowess.  It must be frustrating to know that nobody in the NHL wants him, but hopefully he'll get to play more regularly in the minors.  It won't be the NHL, but at least he'll get the ice time.  I wish him the best.