The New York Rangers already got off to a hot start to the offseason, and are by no means done. They were able to get their top line scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, and landed a defenseman for the future in Alberts Smits with their fifth overall pick. Next up for the Rangers was free agency.
While the free agent market this summer was significantly weakened due to the stars opting to sign extensions with their current teams. While look at what was essentially a clearance rack of players, one name stuck out to Rangers fans, and that was winger Mats Zuccarello. Despite shining with the Minnesota Wild, there was no indication they wanted to keep him around. That then opened the door for the Rangers to swoop in and add the veteran playmaker for a reunion.
But that is not happening.
Multiple reports indicate that Zuccarello agreed to terms to sign a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings. To make missing out on Zuccarello that much more painful, The Athletic's Chris Johnston reports that he is earning a base salary of $1 million, with a chance to earn bonuses.
Rangers miss out on Mats Zuccarello to Kings' cheap contract offer
It's important to note that we don't know the type of bonuses Zuccarello could receive as of this writing.
Looking at both teams' expectations heading into next season, the Kings are expected to be playoff contenders. They may not be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, but it's better than the Rangers' outlook next season, as they are looking to make it back to the playoffs after finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference.
It's ironic that a former Ranger is heading to Los Angeles. The Kings have former Rangers star Artemi Panarin on a new two-year contract and defenseman Erik Gustafsson agreed to terms on a one-year contract. The Kings' new head coach? Peter Laviolette. It's important to note that Zuccarello never played alongside Panarin or Gustafsson and never had Laviolette as his head coach. Still, he is yet another former Ranger to head over to the team that once beat them in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2014.
Look, winger was not the most pressing need for the Rangers, but they did need players who can put points on the stat sheet. Zuccarello, even though he is near the tail end of his career, showed that he can still be a productive forward in the top six. Zuccarello is coming off back-to-back 54 point seasons. In the playoffs this year, Zuccarello scored two goals and dished out seven assists in eight games. The Rangers sure could have used that.
It's unknown if the Rangers truly had interest in Zuccarello, but he did make sense as an addition to their current roster. It was going to be a hard sell, considering they won't be contending this season. For Zuccarello, he couldn't say no to the allure of playing for a team that made it to the playoffs this past campaign in the Kings.
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