Like many of his teammates, Carolina Hurricanes winger Jiri Tlusty had an up and down season last year. Once again, he struggled with the injury bug which started during training camp when he was slow to recover from offseason knee surgery. He ended up missing the first part of the year and got off to a slow start when he was able to play.
Still, he flashed signs of promise at times as he was able to create scoring chances for himself and his linemates, when healthy. He averaged 9:51 of ice time per game and spent most of his time, (21%) on a line with Brandon Sutter and Patrick Dwyer.
The forward was credited with 36 hits and 19 blocked shots.
The Good:
Tlusty handles the puck well and is a good playmaker when he is on his game. He has a decent shot, works hard in his own zone, (+1), and is a very good passer.
The Bad:
Consistency. That is what teams are looking for from this player. Occasionally he looks like a superstar, (at Nashville he was almost dominating), but some nights it's hard to tell if he even played. He has had tough luck regarding injuries but the coaching staff will be looking for more out of Tlusty on a nightly basis or his days of being a Hurricane might come to an end this season.
The Money:
Tlusty was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this offseason, but Carolina did not qualify him, which made him unrestricted and eligible to be signed by any team. Still, after July 1 the Canes were able to re-sign him for one year at $525,000.
(This completes the player grades. To see any of the previous reviews and grades for players, just click the section named 2010-11 Exit Analysis on the left sidebar. The head coach is next.)