*** Note the below blog was posted before noon today. The Canadiens just announced that they have indeed signed Jarred Tinordi to a 1 year, 2 way contract - similar to what Michael Bournival signed yesterday. It will be up to Tinordi to prove that he belongs... Tinordi can be claimed on waivers if he is sent down to the AHL and that is most likely a risk that the Canadiens will not want to take...
------------------------
Original post:
With the news that Michael Bournival signed a 1 year/ 2 way contract yesterday, that leaves just restricted free agents Alex Galchenyuk and Jarred Tinordi to still be signed. While it seems that the contract progression with Alex Galchenyuk and new agent Pat Brisson have been moving along (although at a snail’s pace), there has been nary a whisper about the ongoing negotiations between defenceman Jarred Tinordi and Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin. It shouldn’t be a very complicated contract to negotiate, especially considering that Tinordi has no arbitration rights, nor is he coming from a position of strength. And so we wonder as we approach mid-July, what is the holdup?
Drafted 22nd overall by the Canadiens in 2010, Tinordi was supposed to be that big, physical imposing defenceman that the Canadiens were lacking. After initially committing to the University of Notre Dame, Tinordi was persuaded to play for the London Knights in the OHL under the tutelage of brothers Dale and Mark Hunter. Like many American youngsters who are used to a less grueling schedule and inferior level of competition, Tinordi went through numerous growing pains in his first season. His leadership skills though were always on full display and Tinordi would often stand up for his teammates, fighting 10 times in his OHL rookie season. In his 2nd season with the Knights, Tinordi was named captain. He also earned a spot on the USA Under 20 World Junior Championship team and was named an assistant captain as well. Tinordi’s overall play was much improved as he cut down his penalty minutes from 140 to 63 and increased his +/- ration from -8 to a +39. Tinordi really shone in the OHL and Memorial Cup Playoffs of 2012 where he led the Knights to the finals where they lost to Shawinigan.
In Tinordi’s first season of professional hockey, he appeared to be the Canadiens best prospect as the most NHL ready defenceman. His performance in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs was strong and he earned a late season callup with the Canadiens. Tinordi’s play was impressive while filling in for the injured Alexei Emelin. In the 1st round of the playoffs against Ottawa, he played all 5 games and joined Andrei Markov to form the Habs top pairing. While the series was a disaster for the Canadiens, Tinordi’s play provided a glimmer of hope towards his future with the Canadiens. This seemed to be the “Honeymoon” period for Tinordi and the Habs.
Coming into training camp of 2013-2014, it was believed by many that Tinordi had the inside track on making the permanent jump from the Bulldogs to the Canadiens. Like in Junior Hockey, Tinordi continued to make a name for himself as a tough guy to play against, fighting 7 times in the AHL the previous season. In the preseason of that year he was forced to fight twice, defending himself after dishing out strong, hard and legal hits. Unfortunately, fighting would become a theme that would seem to follow Tinordi and he would be called upon to fight way too often. While he would start with the Canadiens on the opening day roster of 2013-2014, he would bounce back and forth between the Canadiens and Bulldogs all season long. His timing with hits was inconsistent and his difficulty to always keep up with the pace of play would show. The confidence that appeared the previous season seemed loss as Tinordi would rush his passes or jump in at the wrong time. In the 2013-2014 season Tinordi would play only 22 games with Montreal and none during the playoffs. It was particularly noteworthy in the 2014 playoffs when Tinordi’s previous years playoff experience was passed over for defenceman Nathan Beaulieu who made the jump from the Black Aces to the Canadiens lineup for game 6 against the Boston Bruins in the 2nd round.
Training Camp of 2014-2015 would be a repeat of the previous year with both Tinordi and Beaulieu battling it out for the 6th and 7th spots on the Habs roster. This time though Beaulieu had the edge following his success in the previous year’s playoffs. While both Beaulieu and Tinordi would make the opening day roster, neither laid a dominant claim on the 6th spot in the Canadiens lineup. No improvement was shown from Tinordi as he was still making the same mistakes as the previous year. In November of 2014 when the Canadiens acquired Sergei Gonchar from the Dallas Stars, Tinordi was subsequently sent back to Hamilton. Commenting on Tinordi’s demotion and play Therrien said:
“It takes time before players feel confident in themselves and feel at ease, especially when it comes to defencemen. Young guys also need to adapt to the tempo of the game at this level. It goes up with every level of hockey. It’s a process, especially for defencemen. It take a little bit longer.”
However Marc-Antoine Godin of La Presse was not about to let Therrien off the hook. He asked Therrien how Tinordi can adjust to the NHL pace of play while playing in the AHL? Therrien’s response was simply:
“Good Question.”
It’s a dilemma for many players and coaches. Too good for the AHL but not the NHL. In Tinordi’s case, he has all of the tools to be an effective everyday NHL player. The biggest hurdle facing Tinordi seems to be his confidence, in which case it is all in his head. It is here that Tinordi could learn something from Beaulieu. Beaulieu has always had an edge of cockiness to him, and he has learnt to translate that into confidence. Beaulieu no longer worries about past mistakes, he has found a way to move past it and focus on the next play and always being better. There is no doubt that veteran Sergei Gonchar played a huge part in the development of the Nathan Beaulieu this past season. It is unfortunate that Tinordi was not able to gain the same wisdom from a teammate or coach.
TSN 690’s Tony Marinaro has a very telling interview with Tinordi’s father Mark in January this past season. Some highlights from that interview include:
It’s a fine line for any player to be aggressive and play with an edge. It became obvious that Tinordi felt that he always had to fight when challenged, but Tinordi needed to learn that he is more valuable on the ice than sitting for 5 minutes in the penalty box. This became even more evident when he was knocked out in an AHL fight against Andrey Pedan. What was most alarming about Mark Tinordi’s comments though was the suggestion that his son would be an established player had he the opportunity to grow in a smaller NHL market. It is impossible to predict the future, however the Detroit Red Wings come to mind as a team that lets its prospects take their time to develop in the minors with great success. The comment also started a firestorm from fans questioning Tinordi’s desire to stay in Montreal. This would lead to Tinordi’s name being associated in almost every trade rumour involving the Canadiens. By the end of the season, Greg Pateryn would also surpass Tinordi on the Habs depth chart. Pateryn proved that he could contribute quality minutes playing a safe, reliable and physical game.
At the post-season press conference, GM Marc Bergevin stated that Tinordi is still part of the Canadiens plan even though Tinordi “took a step back” while Beaulieu and Pateryn “took steps forward.”. Tinordi and Beaulieu headed into the off-season as restricted free agents and it didn’t take long for Bergevin to sign Beaulieu to a very reasonable bridge contract of a 2 year, one way contract with an AAV of $1 million. This contract certainly didn’t help Tinordi’s case though. By the end of the season, Beaulieu had clearly established himself as a regular NHL defenceman. Tinordi finished the season injured and did not accomplish very much. Tinordi cannot expect to receive anything more than Beaulieu and chances are he is being offered slightly less. Perhaps the Canadiens are trying to get TInordi to sign a contract similar to what Pateryn earned the year before, a 2 year contract with the first year a two way and second year one way. Pateryn was able to parlay that with a 2 year one way surprise extension this Summer. Tinordi might be wondering about his future with the Canadiens but ultimately the decision is up to him. He has decide what approach he is going to have to the 2015-2016 season. He has to force Bergevin’s hand and prove that he belongs in the Canadiens lineup with and improved game. Bergevin has been true to his word and made room for younger players when they have proven themselves. Likewise, even coach Therrien has shown that he will trust a youngster like Beaulieu and Pateryn over veterans such as Mike Weaver and Sergei Gonchar. Now it is time for Tinordi to sign and be done with the contract so that his entire focus can be on making the Canadiens squad for good.
Follow along on Twitter!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»