Canucks Re-Sign Forward Jarkko Ruutu

[Thrillhouse]

Vancouver, B.C. -- Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have re-signed forward Jarkko Ruutu.

"We are very excited to once again have Jarkko Ruutu in our line-up," said Dave Nonis. "His competitive nature is infectious and we look forward to another strong season from him."

Ruutu, 30, spent the 2004-05 season in Finland with HIFK Helsinki and finished as the team’s fifth highest scorer with 28 points (10-18-28) while adding 215 penalty minutes. In 2004, Ruutu had a career year with the Canucks in goals scored (6), assists (8), and points (14).

In 185 NHL regular season games, the native of Helsinki, Finland, has recorded 13 goals, 21 assists (13-21-34) and 311 penalty minutes. He has also played 24 playoff games with the Canucks. Ruutu has extensive international experience representing Finland on a number of occasions including a second place finish at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and he was a member of the 2002 Finnish Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. He was originally Vancouver’s 3rd choice, 68th overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft.

[CanucksGurl]

so nice to hear... i was worried about this one... now lets see if they can hook cookie as well

[stevecanuck16]

Awesome! And a good price to for $600,000. This brings needed grit to our lineup and a decent middle weight. Now if we could just sign Cooke and a defenseman....

[Blouin]

Good price and good middle level guy

[North man]

Great, just hope they can sign Cooke in some how.

[peacemaker]

A very decent signing for 600k.

If he quit taking stupid penalties his value could be far greater than the average 600k player. Not a huge upside by any means, but a good grinding type of player when he's on his game, and obviously capable of getting teams off their game.
A decent scrapper also.
It's scary to think that he may be the Nucks #2 scrapper. Bert, and Jovo don't fight. Allen is a speed bag...
This is shaping up as a very easy team to push around. The Flames will have a field day with us.
Thank goodness for Brookbank.

[8BostonRocker24]

Originally Posted by peacemaker

This is shaping up as a very easy team to push around. The Flames will have a field day with us.
Thank goodness for Brookbank.

Yeah, The Flames will push you around. But then again, I think the Flames could puch most teams around.
The entire Northwest div. needs to add some size to keep up with The Flames, either that or pull a Tampa Bay and just out stake them.

[Gym Class Hero]

**** cooke the guys a greedy little bitch, he thinks because he took over for bertuzzi on a line with nazzy and morrison( i mean i could get a **** load of points with those two ) that he deserves 1.5 mill...the guys a third liner and he can suck a nut if he wants more then 900k.

[cowboy]

Ryan Malone signed for 700K now way should Cooke get more then him.

[peacemaker]

While I agree that Cooke and his agents are being greedy friggers, and he shouldn't get a 1.5 mill cntract (or anywhere near it), he's a great guy to have on your team (as a 3rd liner, and a spot guy to move up from time to time).
Maybe I've missed Malone's game, but I don't think that is an apt comparison.
Cooke is a great skater (on a team built to skate), can gring, be a 5hit disturber, and a decent scoring touch. I think he is worthy of a contract between 900k to 1.1 million (depending on the length of the contract).

But he has no bargaining power at all (coming off a 23 point season when sharing time on the #1 line), salaries are coming way down etc...
He was probably underpaid for a time in the out of whack old system and is trying desparately to make up for it now. It ain't going to work; it could get him traded possibly though.