Defenceman Michael Del Zotto signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets worth $700,000. This contract carries him to the end of the 2021 season.
✍️ OFFICIAL: The #CBJ have signed D Michael Del Zotto to a one-year/two-way NHL/AHL contract.
MDZ stats ⬇️https://t.co/Yb9bP5V0YV
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 10, 2021
Michael Del Zotto Signed by Columbus
In Del Zotto’s last season with the Anaheim Ducks, he played 49 games, producing 2 goals and 13 assists. He had 14 minutes in penalties to go along with his 15 points. His Corsi was 46.3 percent with a relative Corsi of -2.2 percent during the 2019-20 campaign. Del Zotto has bounced around to many different teams over his career, seven including the Blue Jackets. Over his 11 year career, Del Zotto has played in 657 games, scored 56 goals, and dished out 180 assists, totalling 236 points. His overall Corsi over those 11 years is 49.1 percent and a relative Corsi of -0.6 percent.
What This Means for the Future
While Del Zotto’s performance certainly has dropped, those low numbers can also be attributed to the weak team he was on. It is also difficult to produce well when one’s teammates are constantly changing from year to year. The Blue Jackets already have a very strong defensive core, with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski leading the helm. However, Del Zotto is a great veteran acquisition for the Blue Jackets. If there is an injury or a depth defenseman is not playing up to par, Del Zotto can slot right into a bottom pair role. And when he is not needed, he will be taking up very little cap space and will continue to work on his game in the AHL. While Del Zotto is not the most reliable defenceman anymore, he is still a veteran with a lot of experience to help the younger players develop and improve. His poor performance in Anaheim will likely not be repeated in Columbus, as the Blue Jackets are a much stronger team defensively, and do not rely on Del Zotto to play well to win games.
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