Jets sign T.J. Galiardi to 1-year, 2-way, $750K contract
The Winnipeg Jets have taken a flier on grinder T.J. Galiardi, signing the veteran forward to a one-year, two-way deal worth $750,000 at the NHL level, the club announced Friday.
A second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2007, Galiardi has appeared in 283 regular season games in his NHL career, scoring 43 goals and managing 104 total points. With the Flames last season, Galiardi appeared in 62 games, logged third-line minutes and scored four goals while chipping in 17 total points.
Galiardi, 26, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Flames this past June, but the underlying numbers would suggest that he's a legitimate NHL-caliber, bottom-six player. During stops in Colorado, San Jose and Calgary, Galiardi has generally come out ahead by relative shot attempt differential and has drawn penalties at a high rate.
While Galiardi isn't likely to contribute much offensively, he's a solid bottom-of-the-roster gamble on a risk-free, one-year contract that doesn't even guarantee him an NHL-level salary.