In his eighth season with the New York Rangers, Mats Zuccarello led a struggling, rebuilding team through a tough season. He also led the team in points.
With the 2017-18 season completed, Mats Zuccarello has now played eight seasons as a New York Ranger.
At 30 years old, Zuccarello is now one of the oldest members of the team and a leader in the locker room. Not to mention he is a fan favorite and a three-time recipient of the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award.
When this season took an unexpected downturn, Zuccarello had to step up and help lead a now-rebuilding team. His name was even mentioned in trade rumors, and still is going into the offseason.
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Statistics and Deployment
Do not be fooled by the fact that Zuccarello led the Rangers in points this season. His 16 goals, 37 assists, and 53 points sit at his career average. In addition his possession metrics were at a career low. Most notably, his Corsi of 46.7 is the lowest of his career, and only his second season with a Corsi below 50.
Zuccarello leading the Rangers with 53 points gives a glimpse into why the team struggled. It also proves the way former head coach Alain Vigneault deployed his players was not effective. This includes Zuccarello.
One thing that Vigneault loved to do is juggle the Rangers’ lines. Zuccarello rarely had consistent linemates throughout the season.
To name a few, he spent time on lines with J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey, Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Spooner, and Michael Grabner. Those lines also ranged from the third to first lines. So to say the least it was inconsistent.
Trades and the Future
The shake-ups in the lineup were partially due to all of the trades the Rangers made in their effort to rebuild the roster. Michael Grabner, J.T. Miller, and Rick Nash were all traded, and that’s just in the forward core. Captain Ryan McDonagh and defenseman Nick Holden were also traded.
Zuccarello is no stranger to major trades. He has seen the Rangers make many big moves in his tenure with the team. In consecutive summers the Rangers traded Carl Hagelin and Derick Brassard. Zuccarello was famously close with both of them.
With the trades this season, Zuccarello quickly became one of the only remaining Rangers players from the deep playoff runs from 2012-2015. In a New York Post article, he talked about how he felt seeing his close friends on different teams.
"“It for sure sucks to see that all of them have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, but I think everyone in here is really proud to be a Ranger.”"
When it comes to Zuccarello’s future in New York, it is definitely uncertain. He is adamant about staying in New York, but he has been the target of many trade rumors. It would not come as a surprise if he were part of a deal this summer.
If he returns next season under the new coach’s system, Zuccarello could continue to be part of the backbone of this Rangers team and be a strong veteran presence for the younger players.
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Despite the inconsistency, Zuccarello managed to end the season with team leading numbers that match his career average. It’s safe to say he was one of the best players on a struggling team during a bad season. In a word, his season was average.
GRADE: B