According to reports from the Athletic’s Michael Russo and TSN’s Bob McKenzie, The Minnesota Wild will sign free agent forward Mats Zuccarello to a five-year contract worth approximately $30 million, or $6 million per season. This contract carries him through the 2023-24 season. Full financial details will be available when the contract becomes official on July 1st.
Who’s still looking for a No. 1 goalie? CBJ? CAR? Lehner and Mrazek still very much in play. In other news, as @RussoHockey has been suggesting, Mats Zuccarello to MIN on a five-year deal in the $6M range, give or take $200K, is quite likely to happen tomorrow.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2019
Mats Zuccarello to Sign With the Wild
Over his nine-year NHL career, Zuccarello has played for the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars. He has put up 114 goals and 241 assists for 355 career points in 511 career NHL games. Zuccarello has also added 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 73 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He originally signed with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent after impressing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for Norway.
Last season he scored 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points in 48 games. He also added 24 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 49.1 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi of +3.8. Zuccarello also added four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 13 playoff games as the Stars made it to the second round. He was traded to the Stars ahead of the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline.
What This Means for the Future
The Wild were looking for an influx of skill and scoring depth this off-season. With Zuccarello, they get one of the best wingers on the market. While he is undersized, Zuccarello has never let that hold him back. He also brings plenty of veteran experience and a strong work ethic to the Minnesota Wild locker room. Zuccarello has been relatively healthy in his NHL career but faced some issues last year. The Wild hope that this is not a sign of things to come for the 31-year-old.
Main Photo: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 24: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars skates up the ice against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on February 24, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
