I love the notion that Zac Rinaldo is neutering the 4th line. Real hockey player Adam Hall, in the past 6 years of 5 on 5 hockey, has a points per 60 of 0.81. Out of 640 forwards who have played at least 500 minutes in that time period, Real hockey player Adam Hall ranks 593rd. Not only is he below Rinaldo, but Jody Shelley sits just above him as well. Darroll Powe and Blair Betts, 2 fan favorites around here and fellow real hockey players, sit in 563rd and 577th place.. both below Rinaldo.
Penalty kill talk in 3,2,1....
Adam Hall thrice had more goals in 6 weeks than Zac Rinaldo has had in his whole NHL career... Adam Hall has scored 3 game winning playoff goals, Adam Hall has had 15 multiple point games in the NHL, Adam Hall has more playoff goals than Rinaldo has career goals.
Adam Hall has seen a lot of players come and go from the NHL over 13 year career... and a lot of those players were far better than Zac Rinaldo.
I know it was a long time ago... but Adam Hall is still twice the hockey player Zac Rinaldo is, and better at pretty much every aspect of hockey apart from hitting...
Halls minutes are far harder than Rinaldos; they may play 'together' but Rinaldo is kept off the ice in most of the harder situations... hence the ~20% difference in zone starts this year and last year.
Yet Hall:
still produces at a higher rate per 60, (1.35 vs 0.90)
while driving the play better, (+21.9... Rinaldo -0.6)
being better defensively
and being one of the best faceoff men in the league
and having top 10 PK minutes in the NHL... on a top 10 unit.
If Rinaldo can play like he did last year, being an agitator without being stupid, hitting and not being too big a liability he has a place in the NHL... albeit as likely a 13th forward, but if he plays like he did before being injured this year... lookout AHL.