Mats Zuccarello criticizes the Blueshirts

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.”