The Winnipeg Jets have hit the waiver wire yet again, claiming Mike Santorelli from the Florida Panthers as reported by ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun.
Mike Santorelli picked up on waivers by Winnipeg jets
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) April 3, 2013
Santorelli by the way UFA after the season
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) April 3, 2013
Santorelli has posted one season that can be described as quality hockey, tallying twenty goals and fourty-one points with the Panthers in 2010-11. Since Kevin Dineen was hired as Florida’s head coach he hasn’t had much use for Santorelli, who has only dressed in twenty-four games this year, predominantly in a bottom-six role.
Here's what our pal Donny Rivette of the Panthers Litter Box Cats' blog had to say about Santorelli:
Santorelli — who really can't even be described as "streaky" — scored 20 goals playing mostly alongside David Booth in 2010-11, which says something about his consistency. He was dreadful (11 points in 60 games) the next year, as Booth was dealt to Vancouver while the rest of the club overachieved en route to a division title. The guy looked lost, continuing the spotty performances in most of his 23 appearances in 2013, though an early demotion to AHL San Antonio seemed to have helped his confidence in recent weeks. Good guy, hard worker, but in our experience he disappears for extended stretches. We wish his well in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg’s latest waiver pick-up will now join the ranks of James Wright, Grant Clitsome, Anthony Peluso and Antti Miettinen; four players who have also been acquired via waivers. While Santorelli fits the mold of yet another bottom-six player — of which the Jets own a horde — a healthy centreman has been on Cheveldayoff’s wish list since they attempted to add Michal Handzus earlier this week.
Furthermore, he has shown that he can put up points at the NHL-level as evidenced in 2010-11, which is more than can be said for the aforementioned group.
