Kings Sign Mats Zuccarello to One-Year Deal

The Los Angeles Kings have signed winger Mats Zuccarello to a one-year contract worth $1 million, plus bonuses, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN and Pierre LeBrun of TSN.

Zuccarello is one of the best undrafted finds of all time. The New York Rangers signed him in 2010, and he became a quality top-six forward from 2013 onwards. He played eight-and-a-half seasons in New York before getting traded to the Dallas Stars at the 2019 Trade Deadline. He played just two games for the Stars, before signing a five-year contract with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent in 2019, with whom he played seven seasons.

Zuccarello has received votes for the Lady Byng (2015-16, 2016-17) and the Selke Trophies (2015-16). However, he’s never earned significant recognition. Even at the advanced age of 38 (he’ll be 39 at the start of September), he’s continued to provide value.

Zuccarello Is An Underrated Playmaker

Since his breakout 2013-14 season with the Rangers, Zuccarello has remained a great playmaker. He has 512 assists through 963 career games, more than double his goal count (234). He’s been a great fit on a first or second line for years because of his solid play-making skills.

He’s also been the definition of consistency in his career. In each of the last five seasons, he’s totalled at least 35 assists and 50 points. Last season with the Wild, he played on the second line, with Ryan Hartman, and Vladimir Tarasenko (all free agents as well). They were one of the best in the NHL. He was also very useful on a power play that ranked third in the NHL (25.2 percent success rate). His time of 3:36 per game on the power play was fourth-most on the team, behind Kaprizov, Boldy, and Quinn Hughes.

He’s prone to missing about 10-15 games a season, not reaching 80 since the 2017-18 season. However, he has a ton of playoff experience with 21 goals and 46 assists through 110 games. He’s also a good locker room presence, with many liking his goofy personality.

Kings Adding Needed Scoring Depth

The Kings get some much-needed scoring depth with Zuccarello. He has plenty of playoff experience, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2013-14 (against the Kings), the first Norwegian forward to ever earn such an honor. He fits on any top line, but he is best used as a second-line offensive spark that can feed his linemates the puck.

Los Angeles signaled a win-now move when they acquired Artemi Panarin from the Rangers before the Olympic break. However, with Anze Kopitar retiring and just around $10.9 million in contracts, they needed to make savvy moves to add scoring depth, something they’ve lacked for years. Zuccarello should fit right into the second line alongside Alex Lafarriere and Kevin Fiala when he returns from injury.