The New York Rangers gave up some of their heart and soul when they traded Mats Zuccarello to the Dallas Stars. Many fans hope that he will return to New York as a free agent. That’s looking less and less likely.
When Mats Zuccarello signed his last contract with the New York Rangers in 2015, he got paid less than he could have made elsewhere. General Manager Glen Sather played hardball with the Norwegian, knowing that Zuccarello didn’t want to leave New York and the team that signed him and gave him a chance to make it in the NHL.
That connection to New York was severed forever when the team dealt him to Dallas at the deadline. Zuccarello has seen life on the outside and now he knows that he has options.
Although broke his arm in his first game with the Stars, he came back for the playoffs and excelled. He tied Tyler Seguin for the team lead in playoff scoring despite the after effects of the injury hampering his stickhandling. The unexpected run that took the Stars within a game of the Conference Finals gave Dallas and the NHL a good look at the Zuccarello that Ranger fans know so well.
Dallas is convinced and after their playoff ouster, general manager Jim Nill made it clear they want him back. He told the Dallas Morning News “I think he was a big part of our success…we’d like to keep him here. We’ll have to move forward and see what we can do.”
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Hockey executives know that deadline acquisitions can be a crapshoot, something Ranger fans know all so well. Nill said “It’s hard when you make a trade and bring a player in four weeks before the playoffs…sometimes they fit like a glove, sometimes they don’t. He fit like a glove.”
As for Zuccarello, he told the newspaper “This is my team right now, we’ll see what’s going on. Obviously, I’m the kind of guy that when someone believes in you, I usually like that. We’ll see. I don’t even know what they want here.”
Non-Dallas options?
At age 31, this is Zuccarello’s last crack at a big payday. It’s also his best chance to latch onto a Stanley Cup contender. While the Devils have been mentioned as a potential suitor, there may be better positioned teams in play, including the Islanders.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, they don’t have the cap flexibility or the contender status that Zuccarello would desire. I doubt he would take yet another hometown discount to return to New York, especially when he knows he is wanted elsewhere. The fact that the team was willing to give him up weighed heavily on him for most of the season. He’s a sensitive player and the trade hurt him.
A lot can change when free agent frenzy begins on July 1. Forwards with his skill and positive attitude are not plentiful and he will be fielding a lot of offers. Many teams will see him as a final piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle.
Ranger fans may be disappointed if Zuccarello’s relationship with the Rangers is over, but there is one big reason to root for him to re-sign with the Stars. If he does, that 2020 third round draft pick he was traded for becomes a first round pick.