Zac Rinaldo (2013-14 season) -- Update Apr. 7, 2014: Suspended four games

[RJ8812*]

You can get a lot of what you get with Rinaldo from players like Couts and the player Laughton will probably be, tough nosed forwards who play defense and have offensive skills.

Ideally, what you want in Rinaldo's role is someone like Billy Clement, big, fast, maybe some shaky offensive skills but can forecheck, PK, and isn't brain dead. What's frustrating about Rinaldo is he can skate, and could develop, but is so focused on making hits he forgets there's a game going on around him.

Your 4th line guys maybe won't give you a lot of offense, but you want them to be able to take on roles like PK to free your offensive players and let them save their minutes for PP and favorable 5 on 5 matchups. When your 4th line guys are taking stupid penalties, you're forcing someone like Giroux to spend 3-4 minutes on PK a night.

there are other people on this team that take way more dumb penalties than Rinaldo does (Hartnell, Downie, Coburn)

 

[GKJ]

You can get a lot of what you get with Rinaldo from players like Couts and the player Laughton will probably be, tough nosed forwards who play defense and have offensive skills.

Ideally, what you want in Rinaldo's role is someone like Billy Clement, big, fast, maybe some shaky offensive skills but can forecheck, PK, and isn't brain dead. What's frustrating about Rinaldo is he can skate, and could develop, but is so focused on making hits he forgets there's a game going on around him.

Your 4th line guys maybe won't give you a lot of offense, but you want them to be able to take on roles like PK to free your offensive players and let them save their minutes for PP and favorable 5 on 5 matchups. When your 4th line guys are taking stupid penalties, you're forcing someone like Giroux to spend 3-4 minutes on PK a night.

I don't think he's 'too focused' on making hits. I think he tries to do other things and just isn't good at doing it, but the hits - he is good at the hits.

 

[Garbage Goal]

there are other people on this team that take way more dumb penalties than Rinaldo does (Hartnell, Downie, Coburn)

In much more ice-time which means they're naturally going to take a lot more penalties since they're out there so much more.

All of those guys also can bring something much better then a fourth liner/extra skater whose best asset is his hitting ability. Hartnell, for instance, is unbelievably stupid sometimes but he's also capable of 30 G, 60 P going by past production and is a scoring threat.

 

[jabba2]

Forget penalties, having Rinaldo on the ice in any situation is like a PP for the other team. I'll be surprised if he's still on the team next year.

 

[Curufinwe]

Do you expect Berube and Holmgren to both be gone next year? Cause they seem like big Rinaldo fans.

 

[Flyotes]

Rinaldo is fine. Good god.

 

[shipwreck]

How can you not love this guy:

Despite the chatter here against him... And, yes, he does do stupid stuff sometimes. I hope they keep him on the team next season.

 

[RJ8812*]

I still don't understand what Iginla was doing there

 

[shipwreck]

I'm fighting the urge to get a Rinaldo jersey soon. I just wanna make sure they keep him onboard next season first :p

 

[onlylordsvsmorebp]

How can you not love this guy:

Despite the chatter here against him... And, yes, he does do stupid stuff sometimes. I hope they keep him on the team next season.

what an insane shift-huge clean hit gets called out by a big name bruin leader and hammers him...who else on this team really brings it like zac?

i really think we need zacs intensity.i hope we keep him.

if he could just get a handle on some of the really really stupid **** he does ...

 

[Broad Street Elite]

I want him back as the 13th forward that we bring in when we need him for a chippy game, but I definitely would prefer a better hockey player on the 4th line.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I've always been a Rinaldo fan. I love the style of play. I liked Carcillo while he was here too. Riley Cote, etc. The little guy who just is a human wrecking ball out there. You can talk all day long about how he's not a "good hockey player" or whatever, but this style of play serves a purpose. If he wasn't playing this way, there's no way he's in the NHL, I get that. But his hitting, penalty drawing, agitating, fighting, etc. is a useful tool for Berube to have out there. I'd rather have him playing 8 minutes per night doing this and scoring minimal points than have INSERT OTHER FOURTH LINER here playing nine minutes per night scoring slightly more points.

 

[Beef Invictus]

You would take Rinaldo over a Blair Betts type player? I wouldn't.

 

[GarretWillhelmThe3rd]

I've always been a Rinaldo fan. I love the style of play. I liked Carcillo while he was here too. Riley Cote, etc. The little guy who just is a human wrecking ball out there. You can talk all day long about how he's not a "good hockey player" or whatever, but this style of play serves a purpose. If he wasn't playing this way, there's no way he's in the NHL, I get that. But his hitting, penalty drawing, agitating, fighting, etc. is a useful tool for Berube to have out there. I'd rather have him playing 8 minutes per night doing this and scoring minimal points than have INSERT OTHER FOURTH LINER here playing nine minutes per night scoring slightly more points.

Couldn't say it better.

For people thinking he needs to go, who else could replace Rinaldo with that level of intensity AND more point production? Sure he doesn't put up numbers at all, but there aren't too many 4th liners who are miles ahead of Rinaldo in the physicality department+point production that it makes sense to get rid of him. When he comes out and flattens people it fires up the team and the whole building. Sure there are 4th liners who could put up better defensive play and more points in limited time but Rinaldo serves a purpose and draws penalties while whooping ass and agitating.

 

[Harold Bingo]

If he could just improve his defensive positioning and general defensive play he'd be a very useful player. I guess that's obvious, though. Easier said than done, however.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

im all for keeping him signed n playing 4th line minutes..

haters can hate, but Zac brings it every night..

not everyone on the team needs to be Giroux...

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

You would take Rinaldo over a Blair Betts type player? I wouldn't.

To a certain extent, yes. They are different types of players. If the Flyers were in need of a shut down centerman on the fourth line and they had another Rinaldo-esque player, I'd take Betts. But with the team they way they have it, there is a spot for Rinaldo and a sport for a Betts kind of player. I wouldn't take three Rinaldos on the 4th line, but on this team, I'd take Rinaldo over Betts.

Rinaldo serves a purpose. The topic du jour is that fighting/agitating/sandpaper players or whatever you want to call them are detrimental to the team because they can't score or play defense. And to a certain degree there is merit to that argument. But there is also merit to the opposing argument, that having these types of players makes it difficult to play against your team. Zac Rinaldo is not going to score a million points or prevent a ton of goals from getting scored. But you're going to have guys looking over their shoulder whenever he is out on the ice and losing their cool when he pulls his bull ****. If you have a defensive presence on that fourth line already, I'd take Rinaldo over Blair Betts every day of the week. If we are talking about this in a vacuum, I'd take Betts over Rinaldo, but that's not the case.

 

[hizzat]

I'm in the "like him for what he is" camp. It seems like every time he get's on the ice my eyes are drawn to him, and lately he's been performing a better than earlier this season. IDK the last few games have really been what I want out of naldo, the idealized version. Hitting, fighting, pumping up the crowd. Plus the game recently (I forget, blues?) that he drew 2 penalties that we scored on.

And I realize he doesn't draw as many as he commits...but the 2013-14 flyers are a "special teams" team are't they

 

[joez86]

Unless the NHL changes drastically and becomes way less physical (let's say down to an NBA level of contact), I think you will continue to see guys like him help their team win big games. Playing like a wrecking ball and trolling the other team is huge for the bench. A team's mental game might be the most important part of being a winner or a loser.

No team wins the Cup unless they are a very confident bunch, and guys like Zac have a knack for getting their teammates to play more confidently while also taking away that confidence from the other team. Guys like Giroux do it in other ways, and to a different level, but Rinaldo can be a pretty effective player on a 4th line.

 

[bauerhockey02]

An Ian Laperriere type player is what the Flyers need over Rinaldo. I don't know where we would get that type of player now but Laperriere was a far superior player on the fourth line than Rinaldo is. Agitator, fighter, shot-blocker, and defensively solid while having slightly better size than Rinaldo in addition to better production.

Rinaldo lands some nice hits and he has gotten a bit smarter but there are still things which could be improved upon.

 

[Cmoneyflyguy]

Guy is really in his game right now.
Very effective @ drawing penalties and has been playing smarter.

 

[Beef Invictus]

To a certain extent, yes. They are different types of players. If the Flyers were in need of a shut down centerman on the fourth line and they had another Rinaldo-esque player, I'd take Betts. But with the team they way they have it, there is a spot for Rinaldo and a sport for a Betts kind of player. I wouldn't take three Rinaldos on the 4th line, but on this team, I'd take Rinaldo over Betts.

Rinaldo serves a purpose. The topic du jour is that fighting/agitating/sandpaper players or whatever you want to call them are detrimental to the team because they can't score or play defense. And to a certain degree there is merit to that argument. But there is also merit to the opposing argument, that having these types of players makes it difficult to play against your team. Zac Rinaldo is not going to score a million points or prevent a ton of goals from getting scored. But you're going to have guys looking over their shoulder whenever he is out on the ice and losing their cool when he pulls his bull ****. If you have a defensive presence on that fourth line already, I'd take Rinaldo over Blair Betts every day of the week. If we are talking about this in a vacuum, I'd take Betts over Rinaldo, but that's not the case.

Betts could play wing, too. I still take Betts because he was flat out far superior to Rinaldo.

It's cool that Rinaldo does the hitting thing and all, but when was the last time it won the team the game or did anything but wow the crowd? His hit on Iginla didn't make the outcome better.

Zac has one dimension, and it's not exactly a useful dimension in the big picture. With his shortcomings he's far more likely to be a detriment in the playoffs than an asset, especially against the tougher teams.

 

[Jtown]

Next year our 4th line RInaldo Mathers Goulbourne.....the FU line

 

[Embiid]

Rinaldo gets a lot of unwarranted hate. Always liked what he brings when on his game. He's been a bit more undisciplined under Berube but has been better of late. He played well with Vinny. He can hold his own when playing with some skill. Loved what he did to Iginla.....and how he annoyed the Bruins coach. In the playoffs if he can stay out of the box himself he'll be an effective agitator and be a catalyst to some key PP's.

 

[sa cyred]

Next year our 4th line RInaldo Mathers Goulbourne.....the FU line

Mathers needs to actually get playing time in the AHL first haha

On Rinaldo. Everyone knows where I stand. I expect a player to do more than one thing. For Rinaldo it's hitting. Luckily in the NHL these type of one dimensional players are dieing out and/or being 13th forwards.