New York Rangers: Zuccarello Thriving as a Bargain Player
Last June, Mats Zuccarello re-signed with the New York Rangers on a four-year, $18 million deal. Over the first two years of the new contract, Zuccarello has earned his keep and then some.
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Mats Zuccarello has found a home with the New York Rangers since joining the team in 2010. His most recent contract locks him up at a bargain price through 2018-2019.
Zuccarello has seven goals and 11 assists through 29 games thus far. While those are solid numbers, Zuccarello only has three points in the last seven games. However, he has found other ways to contribute.
The diminutive forward leads the team in average ice time at almost 19 minutes per game. Impressive considering he is carrying a small $4.5 million cap hit.
Recently, the New York Rangers have been dealing with a plethora of injury troubles. Zuccarello has stepped up into an increased role. On Tuesday night, Zuccarello played a whopping 23:10 through 26 shifts against the Islanders. The only player who played more was Ryan McDonagh at 28:03.
Part of Zuccarello’s 23:10 of ice time on Tuesday was spent on the penalty kill. Zuccarello’s ability to pitch in on the penalty kill despite little experience shows his value to the organization. One would be hard-pressed to find a multi-tool like Zuccarello at a $4.5 million dollar cap hit.
Player Comparisons
Dec 6, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) defends against Calgary Flames right wing Troy Brouwer (36) during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Flames defeat the Stars 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
There is plenty of variety when comparing Zuccarello’s contract to others around the league in his price range. Troy Brouwer comes to mind when thinking of players who recently signed with their respective teams. Brouwer and Zuccarello share the same cap hit. Brouwer has six goals and seven assists with the Calgary Flames this year compared to Zuccarello’s 18 points. Last year, Brouwer put up 39 points in the regular season, followed by an explosive 13 points through 20 postseason games.
Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Brad Marchand also sits at a $4.5 million dollar cap hit. One could argue he is a much better bargain, but he shares similar statistics to Zuccarello. Marchand has seven goals and 17 assists for the Boston Bruins this season; only six more points than Zuccarello. Marchand, or as they call him in Boston, “little ball of hate”, has been a big part of the Bruins’ early season success.
Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY SportsODAY Sports
The most accurate comparison for Zuccarello would probably be Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens. Pacioretty has eight goals and 11 assists, which is only one more goal than Zuccarello has tallied. The two both play wing, Zuccarello is only one year older than Pacioretty and the two both carry a $4.5 million dollar cap hit.
The Rangers are lucky to have Zuccarello on this roster. Come playoff time, his value will exponentially increase because of his experience in the playoffs. The younger players will be looking to him for guidance, and the Rangers will get more bang for their $4.5 million.
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