36 Zac Rinaldo LW

Rinaldo will not rejoin the Predators during the 2019-20 season, Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports.

Rinaldo will thus hit free agency this offseason and explore opportunities with other clubs after drawing into just 23 games for the Predators last season. Regardless of where he lands, Rinaldo doesn't typically produce enough to warrant fantasy ownership in the vast majority of leagues, collecting just three points last year.

Rinaldo (shoulder) was recalled from AHL Milwaukee on Sunday.

Rinaldo played just one game in the 2019 calendar year and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in February. He played three games with AHL Milwaukee, scoring one assist. It's unclear whether or not he'll crack the lineup during the postseason.

Rinaldo (shoulder) is bound for AHL Milwaukee on a long-term injury loan, Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports.

Rinaldo is less than two months removed from season-ending shoulder surgery. Since he's on a two-way deal, there would be no sense in the team paying him more money to sit on the shelf, so the center will have to round out his recovery with the Admirals. He finishes the 2018-19 campaign with one goal and two helpers over 23 games.

Rinaldo (undisclosed) will miss the rest of the season as he undergoes shoulder surgery, Robby Stanley of NHL.com reports.

The Predators reacquired Cody McLeod in a trade with the Rangers on Tuesday, so that will help offset the loss of Rinaldo, who finishes the season with three points and 47 hits over 23 games.

The Predators placed Rinaldo (undisclosed) on injured reserve Friday.

The nature of Rinaldo's injury is a mystery, but his absence won't impact any fantasy lineups, as he's frequently been a healthy scratch this season and has otherwise only totaled three points in 23 appearances. Another update on the gritty forward's status should surface once he's activated off IR.

Rinaldo played just 7:41 in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Bruins, skating in place of the injured Colton Sissons (lower body) after sitting out the previous five games as a healthy scratch.

Rinaldo has not seen much game action in his first year as a Predator. After playing in 12 straight contests to start the season, he has suited up just eight times in 25 games since the start of November, and will likely return to the press box with Sissons eligible to return following the holiday break. The 28-year-old Mississauga native has never scored more than nine points in a single NHL season, and with just a single goal with the Preds so far this year, does not look to be changing that trend anytime soon.

Rinaldo skated just 6:39 in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

Rinaldo hasn't seen much game action lately, having sat as a healthy scratch 10 times in the past 15 contests. The 28-year-old veteran brings a ton of grit and toughness to the lineup, but very little by way of offensive ability, He has just a single goal in 17 games this season, and his point totals have never reached double-digits in six previous NHL seasons.

Rinaldo (lower body) is playing Wednesday versus the Avalanche, Adam Vingan of The Athletic reports.

Rinaldo last played Oct. 30 and has missed the last little while recovering from a lower-body injury. Set to return to the lineup Wednesday in Colorado, Rinaldo brings physicality and ruggedness to Nashville's game but remains largely irrelevant in a fantasy sense. The 28-year-old has only one goal in 12 games in 2018-19.

Rinaldo (lower body) remains out of the lineup for Saturday's home matchup with the Bruins, according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley.

Rinaldo's not much of a scoring threat, but his physicality will be missed against a Boston team that likes to blur the line between physical and dirty play. Still, Nashville's team toughness should keep Brad Marchand and Co. from taking too many liberties with the Predators' star players.

Rinaldo did not join the team on its trip to Tampa and is considered day-to-day with a lower-body issue.

The Predators return home for a matchup with the Bruins on Saturday, so there's still a decent shot for Rinaldo to rejoin the lineup after missing just one game. Regardless, his one goal and 7:40 of average ice time over 12 games this season doesn't really lend itself to fantasy relevance in the vast majority of leagues.

Rinaldo was held without a point for the fifth straight game in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

Rinaldo hasn't been able to crack the scoresheet yet, but that should come as little surprise after scoring just seven points last season with the Coyotes. His role in the Preds' lineup is more of an energy player, as he currently leads the team in the hits department with 19. In addition, Rinaldo averages roughly eight minutes in ice time, which further dampens his fantasy value.

Rinaldo will start the season on the 23-man active roster, according to The Tennessean.

Although coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday that Rinaldo's "speed and toughness" were two factors in the decision, the fact remains the 28-year-old center has never scored more than nine points in a single season in the NHL. As his 699 career PIM will suggest, he will be relied upon more for his gritty play and ability to agitate opponents. For fantasy purposes, you should only be relying on him in very deep formats where PIM features prominently as a stat category.

Rinaldo has officially signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Predators. He will make $650,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL.

The two-way aspect of Rinaldo's contract alone is damaging to his fantasy prospects, as the Predators can freely shuffle him between the organization's ranks. Worse yet, he's only accumulated 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) over 328 games, and not until his 53-game run with the Coyotes last season did Rinaldo average more than 10 minutes per contest. We would only consider taking a chance on Rinaldo if he cracks the Opening Night roster and you find yourself desperate for hits; he's averaged 3.3 hits per game through six years of service time between the Flyers, Bruins and Coyotes.

Rinaldo is set to sign a two-way contract with the Predators, Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Being able to reunite with coach Peter Laviolette is believed to have been a key selling point for Rinaldo and his decision to head to Nashville. Those two bonded in Philadelphia before Laviolette was fired in 2013-14. Rinaldo -- who ended up staying in Philly one year longer than the bench boss -- has accrued 1,107 hits over 328 career contests between the Flyers, Bruins, and Coyotes, but he doesn't have the offensive chops necessary to make a serious fantasy impact.

Rinaldo finished the 2017-18 season having totaled just five goals and seven points in 53 games.

Rinaldo has never exceeded nine points in a single campaign, so he isn't a viable option in the vast majority of season-long fantasy leagues. He did, however, rack up 188 hits in 2017-18, but that was only good for 24th-best in the NHL, so he doesn't even have much value in leagues that reward the physical side of the game.

Rinaldo (upper body) is not listed among the scratches on the NHL.com roster report for Saturday's home game against the Wild.

As expected, the bottom-six center will hit game ice against a Minnesota club with pretty good odds of pinning down a playoff spot. Rinaldo is a gritty player, as evidenced by his 159 hits through 44 games, but he's yet to exceed nine points in a single campaign between the Flyers, Bruins and Coyotes. As a result, he's probably left alone in just about any fantasy setting.

Rinaldo (upper body) will likely play in Saturday's game against the Wild, but he officially remains a game-time decision, Craig Morgan of NHL.com reports.

Considering Rinaldo's fantasy value ties mainly to hits (159), he doesn't warrant ownership in the vast majority of season-long leagues. The 27-year-old winger appears set to return Saturday, however, so those interested should check back closer to the game for news on his status.

Rinaldo (upper body) will not dress for Thursday's game against the Predators, Dave Vest of the Coyotes' official site reports.

While Rinaldo will not play Thursday, coach Rick Tocchet did suggest that he's getting close. Even when he does retake the ice for the Coyotes, the 27-year-old winger does most of his damage in a physical sense. Rinaldo owns just six points (four goals, two assists) through 44 games, but he's also racked up 159 hits during that span. That output doesn't translate to most fantasy leagues, but those that tally hits should monitor his status for the coming games.

Rinaldo (upper body) will not play Sunday against the Canucks, Craig Morgan of NHL.com reports.

The 27-year-old forward will miss his sixth straight contest with the upper-body injury. Now in his sixth NHL season, Rinaldo has yet to produce double-digit points in a single campaign. This injury shouldn't have any fantasy relevance.

Rinaldo (upper body) remains day-to-day for the Coyotes, slating him to miss Saturday's contest against the Avalanche, the Arizona Republic reports.

Rinaldo continues to nurse an upper-body injury, missing his fifth straight contest Saturday because of it. Considering he owns just six points this season, his status shouldn't be of much concern in most fantasy circles. However, the 27-year-old will next take aim at returning Sunday when the team returns home to host the Canucks.