WILMINGTON -- Zac Rinaldo cleared waivers at noontime on Monday, and has been assigned to the AHL's Providence Bruins according to the league’s transactions list.
The Bruins agitator was placed on waivers yesterday ostensibly to create a roster spot and some salary cap savings for potential NHL trade deadline deals on Monday, and now he’s headed to Providence after getting through the 24-hour waiver period unclaimed. It remains to be seen if Rinaldo's demotion is a temporary move around the deadline, or if the fourth liner could remain down there after Monday.
Rinaldo was missing from practice, but was spotted leaving Ristuccia Arena after the team practice had ended on Monday afternoon. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said on Sunday that it wasn’t an easy conversation telling Rinaldo he'd been placed in waivers, after sending a third-rounder to the Flyers for him this summer, and that the veteran winger had done many of the things they’d expected when they made the deal.
“I still believe that Zac is the type of player that we needed," said Sweeney. "Did I know that Tyler Randell would be able to come in and fill a gap, and that Landon Ferraro necessarily could come in and fill another gap? No. Those are things you don’t necessarily have a great feel for before the season starts. I felt that our team lacked energy at times last year, and I think Zac has done a really good job in that regard. Has he produced at the level that he’s capable when you watch him in practice and such every day? No- he’d probably be the first to tell you that.
"Has he produced at the level that he’s capable when you watch him in practice and such every day? No, [and] he’d probably be the first to tell you that But I think his game has certainly come a long way, where he’s put himself in questionable situations. I mean even the penalties he takes now . . . most of them are borderline calls for a lot of occasions. I think he infuses a lot of energy, you know? He’s been used on the penalty kill a little bit, again probably something that he can continue to grow at because of the way he skates, and the courage that he has. I think he’s infectious for our club. He’s fit in well. But again, it allowed us [to operate] this deadline for flexibility sake.”
Rinaldo has a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Monday after his illegal check to the head of Cedric Paquette in Sunday night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He has one goal and three points in 52 games for the Bruins this season.