DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have placed Jordin Tootoo on waivers.
The team's next step likely is to buy out the gritty winger who spent the majority of this past season with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. The Red Wings will use their second compliance buyout (the first was Carlo Colaiacovo) to cut ties with Tootoo, who still has $1.9 million (cap hit) left on his contract. He won't be on Detroit's salary cap and will become an unrestricted free agent.
This was anticipated after the Red Wings made it clear they wanted to help him get back into an NHL lineup.
Red Wings news: Red Wings sign undrafted Czech winger
Tootoo, 31, signed a three-year, $5.7 million contract with Detroit in the summer of 2012. He was brought into coach Mike Babcock's lineup to give it a physical boost up front. However, since 2012 Tootoo appeared in just 51 games with the Red Wings and one playoff game.
In 42 games in 2012-13 he racked up 78 penalty minutes. Fans at Joe Louis Arena had become accustomed to a Tootoo fight, or two.
In the 2013-14 season he fell out of Babcock's favor and was a healthy scratch a lot before ultimately ending up with the Griffins. In Grand Rapids, Tootoo played in 51 games and tallied 6 goals, 12 assists and 104 penalty minutes.
Here is one of Tootoo's more memorable fights while with the Red Wings:
26551430