GM Ken Holland said Tootoo will be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan, if he is not claimed by another NHL team by Thursday's noon deadline. That would free up $925, 000 in cap space for the Red Wings.
Unfortunately, the Red Wings believe that Tootoo did not fit into the system the Wings were having and have been trying to trade him but haven't been able to get as much as a draft pick in return.
He was signed in 2012 to add grit to the Wings team, but never fit into the system. He played 42 games last season and only contributed eight points. For the Wings, that didn't seem to be enough.
When the playoffs came, Tootoo only played once and sat otherwise as a healthy scratch. He currently has no points and is a minus-4 in the eight appearances he has played this season.
Jordin Tootoo is one of those players who is more of an agitator and tends to get into fights rather than contribute to goal production and assists. The fact of the matter is, the game is no longer about fighting. You have to contribute somewhat to goal scoring and assisting. That's what John Scott is having trouble with with the Buffalo Sabres. The NHL does not need as many penalty minutes as Tootoo might be getting right now. You have to produce and not with penalty minutes and such like that. To stay in the lineup, you have to score goals and you have to provide assists. Tootoo's going to have to learn that in Grand Rapids. The game has changed so much that people are fighting less and producing more for their team. Hopefully, if a team does take a chance in the NHL, he'll learn that he's only being picked up for grit and goal scoring and not for the penalty minutes.
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