New York Rangers 2016 Player Previews: Mats Zuccarello

From his return to the New York Rangers in 2013, Mats Zuccarello has been one of the most consistent forwards for the team. In his most recent contract negotiations, he accepted $4.5 million, which was less than what he had wanted, simply to stay with the New York Rangers, and they are extremely grateful for that deal ever since.

The two-time recipient of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award and Bill Masterton Trophy nominee has shown an unbelievable amount of resiliency over the past two seasons. After sustaining a head injury that ended his season in Round 1 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Zucc came back strong in 2016 and his determination was evidenced by his numbers.

2015-2016 Season Traditional Stats

Games Played: 81

Goals: 26

Assists: 35

Points: 61

+/-: 2

PPP: 18

TOI: 18:29

Previous Role: Top Six Forward

Season in Review

If there’s a better way to bounce back after having a hard rubber disk deflected at your head someone has to let me know. If you ask anyone who watched how he played last season, you would never have thought that Mats Zuccarello was recovering from an injury. Zuccarello was arguably the best forward (if not player) for the team last season, finishing first in points and coming in second in goals. (Brassard had 27 goals on the season.)

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His skill has been noticeable in numerous circumstances throughout the season. It didn’t even seem to impact Zuccarello’s performance when the Rangers weren’t playing that well in that stretch that lasted from November to Mid-January.

And let’s not forget his undeniable passion for winning. In a loss to the Winnipeg Jets sometime in December, he was seen smashing his stick on a garbage can on his way to the visitors’ locker room after a disappointing loss.

Despite his small stature, the fan-favorite Norwegian Hobbit is known to be aggressive when necessary and isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates, should they find themselves in a fight. Never underestimate small but mightyOne area to improve on might be the +/- rating.

Zuccarello’s 61 points would lead you to believe that his rating would have been higher than +2, but a lot of those ratings depend on how well the team is doing, too. Still, it would be nice to see that number be a little higher for next season, and I have no doubt he can make it happy!

2016-2017 Projected Stats

Age Entering Season: 29 (Just turned it September 1st)

Games Played: 80

Goals: 27

Assists: 30

Points: 57

+/-: +10

PPP: 15

TOI: 18:50

Expected Role: Top Six Forward

Reasoning: I want to make something very clear- It’s not that I think Zuccarello can’t do better than last season. In fact, it’s the opposite. I think he is 100% capable of improving. However, taking Derick Brassard off of his line (and out of the equation entirely, for that matter) makes some changes inevitable.

The chemistry between Zuccarello and Brassard was perfect for most of the season. Personally, any night I saw them on different lines something felt wrong. Whether it was the nifty backhand passes from behind the net or the slick passes in the crease, both players contributed largely to the other’s success. It’s hard to picture Zucc with someone else. But as we’ve seen, he has the ability to form chemistry with nearly anyone.

He assisted on quite a few of Derek Stepan‘s goals when they were paired together, and with a young player like Mika Zibanejad (23 years old), you have to assume the best. However, I do believe in the beginning of the season they might still be getting used to each other and their playing styles, so it might take a while to form chemistry between them. It should get smoother as the season progresses, though.

But let’s not forget how amazing Zuccarello is all on his own. He’s had his fair share of unassisted goals and breakaways over the seasons, particularly last. He also posted his first NHL hat trick last season against the Maple Leafs at the Garden. Take a look back at that game to refresh your memory:

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And seriously, who can resist that award-winning smile? I think every fan’s expectation for Zuccarello next season is high, and with good reason. He’s a smart player with a deep passion for the game, and those two qualities will hopefully make him achieve his dream…hoisting the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers.