After two lackluster seasons, the Boston Bruins and center Zac Rinaldo will be parting ways this offseason.
He spent two seasons in the Bruins system after spending his first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Bruins acquired him via trade in the 2015 offseason a third-round pick in hopes that he would stabilize the penalty kill and provide solid depth. Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, the now 27-year-old never panned out.
In the 2015-2016 season, he played 52 games, but only managed three points while on Boston’s fourth line. He accumulated 83 penalty minutes
He was suspended five games at the end of that season for a headshot on the Tampa Bay Lightining’s Cedric Paquette and never played another game for the Bruins.
Rinaldo has still not served this suspension. He spent the entire 2016-2017 season in the AHL where he struggled mightily, going -12 on the ice with Bruins top prospects. He is -35 in his career.
Zac Rinaldo is a hard hitter and has the potential to be a solid depth center on an NHL team, but unfortunately for the Bruins faithful he never fit Boston’s scheme.
