TORONTO, ON. — Drafted 22nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, hulking rearguard Jarred Tinordi has had somewhat of an odd development path. He has played in 43 regular season NHL games notching six points in those games. In five NHL playoff games in the lockout shortened season, he had one point.
Junior & Professional Playing History
In Jarred Tinordi’s second OHL season, he was named the Captain of the London Knights. In that season, the Captain had 16 points in 48 games along with a plus-39 rating. That season Tinordi led his team to an OHL championship.
Tinordi spent most of his first professional season with the Hamilton Bulldogs. His development went well as he was called up to the Canadiens for 13 games total (regular season and playoffs). During the 2013-’14 season, Tinordi split time between the Canadiens and the Bulldogs once again. As Tinordi entered his third professional season, many fans expected him to take the next step into becoming a mainstay on the Canadiens defense core, however once again, he split time between the NHL and AHL. He was unable to take the necessary leap forward, not to mention the decimating injuries (concussion and broken wrist) he suffered last season.
Scouting Report
| Assets: | Has size, is a strong skater, has great reach and has the ability to intimidate. Can be a shutdown defender and leader for his team. Will also drop the gloves if necessary. |
| Flaws: | Lacks high-end puck skills and offensive upside. Will not be a natural point producer or power-play quarterback. Needs to work on lateral mobility. |
| Career Potential: | Big, physical defenseman and leader. |
Nightmare season 2014-’15
The 2014-15 season was not a kind one at all to Tinordi who didn’t stick in the NHL with the Canadiens, struggled with the Bulldogs and had two awful injuries. What led to Tinordi’s demotion back to the AHL was his decision-making and struggles in his own zone. Head coach Michel Therrien didn’t trust Tinordi enough to use him, so the Canadiens brass decided to send him to Hamilton to work on his game instead of sitting in the press box.
As the season played on, Tinordi didn’t look like his usual self. He was encouraged to fight at times instead of working on his game which needed seasoning. He was making uncharacteristic mistakes such as taking himself out of position for the big hit and bobbling the puck with not much pressure coming his way. Tinordi had lost his confidence.
As his struggles continued, Tinordi then fought Andrey Pedan of the Utica Comets. Tinordi was knocked out by a vicious punch from his counterpart. After missing some time, Tinordi came back to the lineup, had some struggles, then he ended up breaking his wrist which kept him out for the rest of the season.
Outlook for 2015-’16
Tinordi is in a group with Mark Barberio and Greg Pateryn for the 7th and maybe 8th spots on defense. The trio are each waiver-eligible which causes a bit of an issue for management. This may be the make or break season for Tinordi. Touted as a potential leader, he will need to get back to his good defensive game along with using his skating ability to take the next step developmentally. Lastly, he will need to thoroughly impress head coach Michel Therrien to earn his spot with the big club.
I believe that Tinordi, when given the chance, will rise to the occasion and take the next step needed in his development. This year will be very telling as to his future with the Canadiens. If he impresses at training camp, he’ll make the team. If he doesn’t, he’ll either be moved or the Canadiens may take the risk of losing him for nothing by putting him on waivers. It’s a big decision and one that only Tinordi can dictate. We will have an answer in the very near future.
Personally, I find that Tinordi has all the tools to become an effective top-4 shutdown rearguard. However the question is, will that be with the Montreal Canadiens organization or will that be with another franchise?
What do you think?