Mats Zuccarello Awesome (Appreciation thread part III)

[jerseyjinx94]

If they were smart, they'd sign him to like a 1 year, $2.5M deal and then immediately sign him to a 4 year extension beginning in 15-16 worth like $18M. This way the AAV would be 2.5M this year and 4.5M for the next 4, rather than $4M for ever year.

 

[SixGoalieSystem]

If they were smart, they'd sign him to like a 1 year, $2.5M deal and then immediately sign him to a 4 year extension beginning in 15-16 worth like $18M. This way the AAV would be 2.5M this year and 4.5M for the next 4, rather than $4M for ever year.

Except if he has another 60 point season, he will be looking at way bigger offers than 4 mill. He wants to stay, but I don't see him giving a discount in 2015 if he already did it in 2013 and 2014. Locking him up at 3,5-4M makes all the sense in the world.

What they could do is give him a two year at 3,5 and then start working on an extension after the first year if he keeps up what he did this year.

I still think a 4 year at 3,5 is the likely outcome ,

 

[haveandare]

I truly think that if they give Zucc another 1 year deal, we don't see him on this team again after it's up.

And honestly, I wouldn't blame him.

If Kreider just led the team in points, nobody, absolutely nobody, would be saying let's give him a 1 year deal and see if he can do it again.

Zucc is being held to an insane standard. He's more than earned a long term deal by the standards that everyone else has been held to.

 

[TollefsenFan]

If they were smart, they'd sign him to like a 1 year, $2.5M deal and then immediately sign him to a 4 year extension beginning in 15-16 worth like $18M. This way the AAV would be 2.5M this year and 4.5M for the next 4, rather than $4M for ever year.

Why is that smart? He is an UFA NeXT summer. Buffalo and Islanders got alot of capspace and can offer him more Money than the rangers. Buffalo will also be a very talented team With 3 first rounders NeXT draft.

 

[Zil]

Well then they're gonna have to come up with the money. Otherwise he'll sign his last season as RFA, and then get the heck outta here

I'm always baffled when fans of a team take it personally when the team doesn't immediately give in to whatever demands their personal favorite player makes. Why do you care how much money he gets as long as they lock him up? It seems like you'd be happiest if they gave him a $5 million+ cap hit, which would hurt the competitiveness of the team you purportedly root for. I hope Sather bullies Zucc into a $3.5 million cap hit for four years because that's what would be best for the Rangers.

 

[TollefsenFan]

I'm always baffled when fans of a team take it personally when the team doesn't immediately give in to whatever demands their personal favorite player makes. Why do you care how much money he gets as long as they lock him up? It seems like you'd be happiest if they gave him a $5 million+ cap hit, which would hurt the competitiveness of the team you purportedly root for. I hope Sather bullies Zucc into a $3.5 million cap hit for four years because that's what would be best for the Rangers.

It would also be the best deal for Zucc. If Sather replaces AV With a conservative Coach like Torts, then Zucc will struggle. With a fair contract the rangers can trade Zucc for picks and bigger forwards. If the Rangers overpay, then both rangers and Zucc are screwed, because no other team would want him.

 

[SKS]

It would also be the best deal for Zucc. If Sather replaces AV With a conservative Coach like Torts, then Zucc will struggle. With a fair contract the rangers can trade Zucc for picks and bigger forwards. If the Rangers overpay, then both rangers and Zucc are screwed, because no other team would want him.

I'm sorry, T-fan - While I very much agree with the poster you replied to here, and at the same time very much disagree with the player over teams fans such as idlerlee(?) - you just seem so off when assessing Zucc.
Please back up why Zucc would struggle under a Torts? I seem to remember a guy producing at .5 ppg in his rookie campaign, killing corsi and fenqick, and since then having developed greatly as a defensively capable player.
2.5 per year? I would LOVE this contract so much I would want to marry it, but it just seems completely unreasonable. And for 5 years? While enjoying job security it pretty much ensures he will never get paid properly since he would be too old to demand top dollars when contract runs out.

I get the feeling you are playing the devils advocate and not wanting to be identified with the overly zealous Norwegian fans, but you seem equally blinded at times.

 

[Idlerlee]

Im not a team before the player fan, I just have a favorite player on the team, like many do.

I dont think Ive suggested something outrageous though ?

 

[TollefsenFan]

I'm sorry, T-fan - While I very much agree with the poster you replied to here, and at the same time very much disagree with the player over teams fans such as idlerlee(?) - you just seem so off when assessing Zucc.
Please back up why Zucc would struggle under a Torts? I seem to remember a guy producing at .5 ppg in his rookie campaign, killing corsi and fenqick, and since then having developed greatly as a defensively capable player.
2.5 per year? I would LOVE this contract so much I would want to marry it, but it just seems completely unreasonable. And for 5 years? While enjoying job security it pretty much ensures he will never get paid properly since he would be too old to demand top dollars when contract runs out.

I get the feeling you are playing the devils advocate and not wanting to be identified with the overly zealous Norwegian fans, but you seem equally blinded at times.

Ive never proposed 2,5 mill 5 year deal. Ive said from the begining that 3,5 mill 4-5 years is fair. And it is. Zucc do want a long term contract. He said so himself. Zucc should sign a 3,5 mill 4-5 years because he will do well under AV and the GM believe in him.

Zucc did not fit Torts system. Torts only let Zucc play 40 ish games in 2010-11 because Zucc was a so called shootout specialist and nothing more. The following season Zucc played 3 games on the 4th line and then Torts send him to the Whalers. Why would Zucc move to Magnitagorsk? He moved to the KHL, because he gave up his NHL dream. People on this Board said Zucc was worthless and that no team would give up a 6th round pick for his rights. The only person that did believe in him was Sather and thats why Zucc returned. So Zucc should Accept a 3,5 mill deal.

 

[SA16]

I think 3.5 for 4-5 years would be severely underpaying him.

 

[TollefsenFan]

I think 3.5 for 4-5 years would be severely underpaying him.

Moulson got 5 mill for 5 years in Buffalo. Moulson has Three times scored 30 or more goals in the NHL. Moulson was an UFA. Zucc is a RFA. Moulson wanted to play for the Sabres, just like Zucc wants to play for NYR.

Since Zucc is a RFA that has only had one great season compared to Moulsons Three great Seasons I believe that 3,5 mill 5 year deal would be fair.

More important we should listen to what Zucc says. He wants job Security (3-4 year deal) and job Security matters more to him than just a big contract/payday. 3,5 to 4,5 is probably what he want.

 

[Wolfy*]

I think 3.5 for 4-5 years would be severely underpaying him.

Agreed, all this talk about 2-3M and locked up 4-5 yrs is just nonsense.

4M next season is fine, around market value. But next year he's UFA, and if he continues his production he'll be a 6M player in 3-4 years.

 

[fredrikstad]

Like ive allrdy said earlier. Zucc want a long term contract, but he also want to get a fair amount of Money. 5 years at 3,5 million a year.

It would be stupid of him to take more than three years. It's much better to hit UFA as an 30 yaer old man than a 32 years, if his not absolutely elite. And hi isn't that.
3 years @ 3,5-3,8 ish would be the best deal for him.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I think they should work out the term first. I think 4 years is fair. Zooks may want 5. Sather may want 3. So settle on 4 years.

Salary Sather may want 3 mill. Zooks may want 4.5 mill.

Settle somewhere in the 3.5-4 mill area.

So 4 years 14-16mill total.

 

[NickyFotiu]

During the season a person on the main board made a complimentary post about Zooks but called him the short fat guy. Obviously Zooks is one of the shorter players but I did not think of him as fat. He looked to me to be built in a sturdy manner. Today I saw a picture posted of Zooks on his summer vacation without his shirt. Not only is he not fat but the guy has a 6 pack. I did not know he was in such great shape physically.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsnCL-MIEAAK9pG.jpg

 

[BlueshirtBlitz]

During the season a person on the main board made a complimentary post about Zooks but called him the short fat guy. Obviously Zooks is one of the shorter players but I did not think of him as fat. He looked to me to be built in a sturdy manner. Today I saw a picture posted of Zooks on his summer vacation without his shirt. Not only is he not fat but the guy has a 6 pack. I did not know he was in such great shape physically.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsnCL-MIEAAK9pG.jpg

I always thought Zuke was a little pudgy, too. Wow.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I always thought Zuke was a little pudgy, too. Wow.

One of the beat writers asked him if he was going to train like Marty. Zooks joked that when he looks in the mirror and then looks at Marty he thinks he is doing alright. I just took it as Zooks normal joking. I guess he may have been partly serious as well.

 

[Zuccarello Awesome*]

I think Zucc takes a bit of a discount (he's pretty wealthy outside of hockey).

My guess is

4-5 years @ 3.85 million, which is a fantastic deal for the Rangers.

 

[Wolfy*]

You know he bragged about beating Kreider on the bench press...important to let people know he's not just a little wimp.

But I'm worried about all this drinking. He's actually typical Norwegian, drunk every weekend, and around the clock when on vacation

 

[Pizza]

I think Zucc takes a bit of a discount (he's pretty wealthy outside of hockey).

My guess is

4-5 years @ 3.85 million, which is a fantastic deal for the Rangers.

?????

 

[Zuccarello Awesome*]

?????

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that he owns a few car dealerships in Norway, and that his family was pretty wealthy. I also read a Swedish translation a few weeks ago that quoted him saying that term was a lot more important to him than the cap-hit. But I'm not sure if that report was one of those typical translations that gets taken out of context.

 

[Pizza]

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that he owns a few car dealerships in Norway, and that his family was pretty wealthy. I also read a Swedish translation a few weeks ago that quoted him saying that term was a lot more important to him than the cap-hit. But I'm not sure if that report was one of those typical translations that gets taken out of context.

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Idlerlee]

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that he owns a few car dealerships in Norway, and that his family was pretty wealthy. I also read a Swedish translation a few weeks ago that quoted him saying that term was a lot more important to him than the cap-hit. But I'm not sure if that report was one of those typical translations that gets taken out of context.

He does not own a cardealership :p He has Subaru as his private sponsor, who will supply him with a car to drive around in New York and Norway.

His family are working class people, not wealthy by any standard, medium income, pretty standard family by Norwegian standards.

There is a Zuccarello AS (Norwegian version of Co) that is ran part time by his mother, with a positive balance of around $84,000, probably from sale of merchandise and the like, plus private sponsors.

You are right that term is supposedly more important indeed, but the open question is what his agents who are currently dealing with management, have adviced him to do with regards to his current offer.

The worry is ofc that the Rangers brass wont be willing to go for more than 1 or 2 years, or are offering something under 3 mill, just to make things difficult

 

[SKS]

There are a few things that may complicate Zuccs contract talks. While Newport is a very established agency, Craig Oster, from my understanding, is not very established as the head agent but has dealt more widely with contractual issues in the past. (This is something I heard, but have not verified)

While of course he has an agency with great knowledge behind him I am sure there is a matter of pride for Oster personally with this deal, especially considering he took a VERY VERY team friendly contract last year.
Newport never once mentioned Zucc in their newsfeed as one of their players and I am sure they were not "proud" of that contract. This was a newfeed that went wild over a player scoring 3 goals in a week, would believe they had room for a Steven McDonald winner or team top scorer if they wanted to showcase.
Zucc gave his agency a "carte blanche" earlier this season. I am sure he is not getting very involved at this point either.

On the positive side, contract talk began with team and agent saying they had a good understanding and would continue talks. This does not sound like a team or an agent that are miles apart.

 

[Wolfy*]

Zucc in the gym a couple of days ago. Cool shirt, I need to get one of those