Chicago has added some sandpaper to its forward group, inking veteran winger Jordin Tootoo to a one-year contract.
Tootoo, 33, has played the last two seasons with the New Jersey Devils where he scored four goals and notched five assists in 66 games during the 2015-16 campaign.
Over his 12-year NHL career, Tootoo has tallied 158 points (63G, 95A) in 673 career games.
The forward made his NHL debut in 2003 with Nashville where he played for eight seasons. He later skated for Detroit (2012-14).
Per General Fanager, the contract is worth $750,000 at the NHL level, though it’s yet to be revealed if Tootoo signed a one-way or two-way deal.
At first glance, this looks like a move to replace some of the grit and energy lost when Chicago flipped Andrew Shaw to Montreal at the draft.
Though Tootoo lacks Shaw’s offensive upside -- he’s never scored more than 11 goals in a single season -- he does bring a wealth of experience to the table, especially within the Central Division (those eight years with the Predators, specifically).
Financially speaking, this is a low-cost, short-term option for the ‘Hawks, who are pressed right up against the salary cap ceiling.