Mats Zuccarello criticizes the Blueshirts
While the NHL is on hiatus, it seems that much of the news is coming from players from Europe. First it was Lias Andersson talking to a Swedish newspaper. Now, Mats Zuccarello has weighed in on a number of topics including his departure from the New York Rangers.
Mats Zuccarello returned to his native Norway when the NHL season was halted by the COVID-19 virus. He sat down for a lengthy interview with the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang. For the first time he weighed in on his trade from the New York Rangers and was outspoken about the team’s treatment of his pal, Henrik Lundqvist.
Zuccarello spent nine years with New York and was probably one of the most positive players to every wear the Rangers jersey. He led the team in scoring four times and was a sublime passer.
Stepan from Zuccarello, twice. This one's good for career goal #100. #PHIvsNYRhttps://t.co/KwE9ASJ7zM
— NHL (@NHL) February 15, 2016
There is no doubt that it was Zuccarello’s head injury that kept the Rangers from their second straight trip to the Finals in 2015.
The lead topic in the story is the Lundqvist angle and as can be expected, Zuccarello is angry at how his friend is being treated. In a rough translation, Zuccarello said “It’s disrespectful. He is getting older, yes, and they have another good keeper, but then they could let him play the games Shesterkin doesn’t play.”
He added, “Lundqvist understands the situation and has handled it well. He is a professional and knows the situation. If you ask him, he will play every game, just like all players will.”
Zuccarello said he felt that the team had given Shesterkin and Georgiev “better” matches while Lundqvist was idle for weeks before being sent out to play against top teams. The Norwegian said “It is absolutely chillling that he is treated that way. Did anyone ever think that this was going to happen Henrik Lundqvist? No.”
How Zuccarello was treated
When Zuccarello criticized Rangers’ management, it was clear that the ill will also extends to his departure from the team at the trade deadline last season.
“If Lundqvist and we had managed to win the Stanley Cup in 2014, when we were in the Final, Lundqvist would have been the greatest legend in Rangers history. I mean that. Now you see that being nice to a club, or taking less pay because you are loyal, turns out to be just nonsense.”
When Zuccarello said “taking less pay because you are loyal,” it is a direct reference to the contract extension he signed in 2015, a team friendly four year deal when the team was in cap trouble. Facing unrestricted free agency that summer, he signed a contract in March that paid him at the bargain rate of $4.5 million annually. Compare that to the five-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Wild last summer.
Zuccarello said “I never thought it would happen to me, either. In my eyes, I was going to end my career with the Rangers. I think Hank thought so, too. Everything was going to be fine and great, but then the management decides, and then you are not worth a s–t.”
He went on to say that he signed the big contract with Minnesota more for the term than he dollars. The five years made him feel “he was really wanted by the Wild.” Interestingly, he also indicated that he signed with a Western Conference team to minimize the number of games he would have to play at Madison Square Garden. As he said, “It stays with one. I noticed that this season. It was very emotional.”
A bad start with the Wild
Zuccarello also talked about his time in Minnesota. He loves the market, calling it a “hockey mecca,” but also acknowledged that he had issues with former coach Bruce Boudreau and also felt pressure after General Manager Paul Fenton was fired. Fenton had inked Zuccarello to the big contract.
Zuccarello isn’t having a great season in Minnesota. The 32-year old scored 15 goals and added 22 assists for 37 points in 65 games and is headed for his worst season since he became a regular. It didn’t help that he had only two assists in his first eight games as the Wild got off to a 2-6-0 start.
Some perspective
The Rangers are in a tough position when it comes to the veteran netminder with two younger goalies who are arguably playing better than Lundqvist. Zuccarello’s sentiments are understandable when it comes to his friend. Remember Lundqvist’s reaction when Zuccarello was traded last season.
Henrik Lundqvist gets choked up talking about the Mats Zuccarello trade.
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) February 24, 2019
We're with ya Hank. #NYR pic.twitter.com/HyyfIS1NWS
As far as how Zuccarello was treated, the Rangers and Jeff Gorton was able to parlay the veteran into a second and third round draft pick and they were one double overtime goal from getting a first round pick. With the second rounder the Rangers selected defenseman Matthew Robertson, a prospect with a huge upside and they still have Dallas’ third round pick this summer.
Despite the rebuild, is there any Ranger fan who wouldn’t want Zuccarello playing the right wing with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome or playing third line minutes and nurturing the young Rangers as they mature into a Stanley Cup contender?
As hurtful as the trade was to Mats Zuccarello, it reinforces the fact that professional hockey is a business and unfortunately there is no room for loyalty in a salary cap driven world.
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Kudos to the Forever Blueshirts site for being the first to pick up on the Zuccarello interview. Verdens Gang is a daily tabloid newspaper in Norway, better known as VG. Verdens Gang means “Of the world.”