The Curious Case of Jordin Tootoo or (How I Started Loving the Offense)

by Saber-tooth on Oct 18, 2011 12:59 PM EDT

In every game the Predators have played this season I have seen Jordin Tootoo take the puck into the offensive zone with tremendous speed, shouldering off a guy and making a sweet cross-crease pass, but no one there. Every game, sometimes twice a game. But never to Sergei.. or Wilson, or Erat, or Leggy or Smith or bless his soul Mike Fisher. But why not?

Isn't this exactly what the Predators offense needs? Puck possession in the offensive zone? Oh Lords, entering the offensive zone WITHOUT dumping and chasing? Someone needs to remind this Predators team that 'getting pucks deep' some of the time, is skating it there.

Our offense is struggling, yes and there are a lot of reasons, but NONE of those reasons are that our forwards can't shoot. We have shooters, we need more Tootoo. I have a fever..

For all the talk about how Tootoo's game has reached another level - which it HAS.. why not give him that role?

If you're gonna shuffle the lines like Barry Trotz anyway, why not give him a shift with Leggy and Wilson, or SK74 and Cal O'reilly? That's the line we should be seeing. Cal and Toots have been playing well together, and Sergei, shot percentage notwithstanding, would bury that cross-crease pass from Tootoo.

I wanna see Ryan Hopkins Nugent enter the zone with teeth like Jordin Tootoo. He can't.

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Tootoo has really stood out to me

Last night he was the fastest guy on the ice. He is always pushing the play up ice but as you said there is rarely someone in position to receive his pass. Why not put Toots on a more offensive line. There was a time last year when due to injuries he was on the 1st or 2nd line and he performed very well.

by jerseypredsfan on Oct 18, 2011 2:11 PM EDT reply actions

I love, absolutely love watching Jordin Tootoo skate after a puck, his arms and legs pumping away. I can pick him out on the ice just from how he skates—no need for any Tootoo whistles to let me know he’s out there. I call him my little bowling ball, because he just heads in and goes after it and mows down whoever’s in the way.

I think that it’s hard to estimate exactly how much potential he has right now. Trotz has said he wants to give Tootoo more responsibility, and as his timing improves (something that happens with practice) and he shows he can be consistent, he will get that ice time. He may even move up on the depth chart.

Right now, though, he has shown that he has good chemistry with Smithson. He showed that in the playoffs last year and it’s still true today. I’d rather get the Badger’s situation settled first (put him back with Legwand and Wilson) and then work on Tootoo’s situation. Where he is seems to be working somewhat, so it’s a kind of secondary worry for me.

R.I.P. Belak, Rypien, Boogaard, Lokomotiv.
Even bears must face this fact: we're nothing without Rinne.--Grizzledbear, 10/9/2011
Part Predator, part Lightning.

by CAustin on Oct 18, 2011 3:20 PM EDT reply actions