Zac Rinaldo, who the Predators have signed to a two-way, one-year deal, has been suspended for a total of 25 games in his six years in the NHL. Here are those suspensions:
- 6 games for “punching an unsuspected opponent” (Samuel Girard) while playing for the Coyotes on December 23rd, 2017
- 5 games for an “illegal check to the head” (Cedric Paquette) while playing for the Bruins on February 28th, 2016
- 8 games for “charging and boarding” (Kris Letang) while playing for the Flyers on January 20th, 2015
- 4 games for an “illegal check to the head” (Chad Ruhwedel) while playing for the Flyers on April 6th, 2014
- 2 games for “charging” (Jonathan Ericsson) while playing for the Flyers on February 12th, 2012. /
Among players with less than 350 games played since 2011, Zac Rinaldo ranks 2nd in penalty minutes with 699, behind only Derek Dorsett. Rinaldo has a pitiful 34 points in his 328 career games, for a .10 career points per game average. For reference, Dorsett, who is also terrible at hockey, has 91 points in 336 career games.
If we are unlucky enough to watch Rinaldo play for the Predators at any point this year, there is a much higher chance that he ruins someone else’s hockey career than him actually contributing to the game in a productive way.
After concussing Kris Letang in 2015, Rinaldo said he “changed the whole game” implying he knew exactly what he was doing and had all the intent to injure another person.
Here are some excerpts from his felonious resume:
In Rinaldo, the Predators have acquired a player who has demonstrated total indifference to the rules of hockey, as well as a player with complete disregard for the safety of other players in the league. This acquisition is a complete waste of time and money, and it challenges the good faith built up by both David Poile and Peter Laviolette over the past four seasons.
May God have mercy on our souls.