During the 2017-18 season, the New York Rangers wrote a letter to fans announcing they were going to make changes to the roster, and they traded away some of their top players at the trade deadline. In 2018-19, they made another key trade as they sent Mats Zuccarello, who was in the final season of his contract, to the Dallas Stars for a second and third-round pick. Seven years later, the 38-year-old winger is still playing at a high level, and the prospects New York drafted with picks acquired in the trade have yet to establish themselves in the NHL.
Zuccarello’s Time With the Rangers
Though Zuccarello went undrafted, the Rangers signed him ahead of the 2010-11 season after he played very well for Norway in the 2010 Olympics. His first NHL goal was an overtime winner on a nice shot from a bad angle against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 5, and he also had an assist in the game.
Zuccarello had six goals and 17 assists in 42 games during the 2010-11 season. He finished with just two goals and one assist in 10 games during 2011-12 as he spent the majority of the season with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL). He spent most of the 2012-13 season playing for Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), but he returned to the Rangers later in the season and had one goal and six assists in 12 playoff games.
Zuccarello broke out during the 2013-14 season, and he had 19 goals and 40 assists in 77 games. Despite being listed as 5-foot-8, he was physical, did not back down from bigger opponents, and drove to the net. He proved to be a great playmaker and was excellent on breakaways and in shootouts. He also played a key role in their run to the Stanley Cup Final as he finished with five goals and eight assists in the postseason.
In 2014-15, Zuccarello once again had a strong season, finishing with 15 goals and 34 assists in 77 games, but he suffered a skull fracture after getting hit by a slap shot in the first round of the playoffs. He missed the rest of the postseason as the Rangers lost in the Eastern Conference Final.
Despite the injury, Zuccarello continued to play with the same tenacity during the 2015-16 season, and he finished second on the Rangers in goals with 26 and led them in points with 61. He continued to produce steadily in 2016-17 and finished with 15 goals and 44 assists, and had four goals and three assists in 12 postseason games.
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As the Rangers traded away Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, and Rick Nash during the 2017-18 season, Zuccarello continued to play well and led the team in points with 53 as he had 16 goals and 37 assists.
Trading Zuccarello and His Time With the Stars and Wild
As the Rangers struggled in 2018-19, they traded Zuccarello to the Stars for a second and third-round pick, which they used to select Matthew Robertson and Oliver Tarnstrom. Tarnstrom, a 23-year-old center, has spent time in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) but struggled to score. Robertson, a 23-year-old defenseman, made his NHL debut with New York last season as he played in the final two games of the season. He is not expected to make the opening night lineup this season, but could be a depth defenseman.
Zuccarello broke his arm shortly after Dallas acquired him, but he returned in the playoffs and was one of their top forwards, finishing with four goals and seven assists in 13 games. The following offseason, he signed with the Minnesota Wild.
It took some time for Zuccarello to adjust to his new team, but he still had 15 goals and 22 assists in 65 games in 2019-20 and 11 goals and 24 assists in 42 games in 2020-21. He broke out in 2021-22 and proved that he was still an elite playmaker, and had 24 goals and 55 assists in 70 games.
Zuccarello has aged well and continued to be one of Minnesota’s top forwards as he had 22 goals and 45 assists in 78 games in 2022-23, 12 goals and 51 assists in 69 games in 2023-24, and 19 goals and 35 assists last season. He still does not shy away from bigger players and has continued to make the players around him better. He is entering the final season of a two-year, $8.25 million contract.
Zuccarello Deserves Praise for His Time With the Rangers
It made sense that the Rangers traded Zuccarello, as they ended up using some of the money they saved by not re-signing him to sign star winger Artemi Panarin. They also had Chris Kreider playing at a very high level and drafted young forwards Alexis Lafreniere first overall in 2020 and Kaapo Kakko second overall in 2019. However, it was frustrating not to get a first-round pick back for him, and they may have been able to get more in a trade for him had they moved him one season earlier.
Regardless of the trade, Zuccarello deserves credit for his intensity, playmaking, clutch moments, and steady play during his time with the Rangers.
