Player Discussion Mats Zuccarello

[Dynamite Time]

Sign Zucc and head into next season with two scoring lines, we need offense.

We’ve resigned Polak and hopefully Johns returns. If anything Hanzal will go back on LTIR and will open up cap space to make an early season move if needed to help our defense.

 

[Webster]

Not sure how we could lose Hintz by signing Zucc. There are 7 forward spots to protect and only 3 of them are certain as of now.

All assuming Hintz maintains his level of play, as well.

How many defensemen can they protect? I think it has to do with D, Shapiro had an article on this.

But an even more interesting article was just released by a Norwegian reporter with the headline "This stops a Zuccarello deal". The guy is in contact with Zucc, he knows what's going on. It's more about why there is no deal yet, not that it won't happen.

Too bad it's in Norwegian, you'll have to use a translator.
Dette stopper en Zuccarello-avtale

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

7FW, 3D, 1G in a traditional format or any 8 skaters and 1 G as an alternate. One less protection slot for the privilege for
protecting another D. Did anyone use that format last time? NSH would have been a natural candidate, given strength of D and weak FW corps.

 

[Morry83]

7FW, 3D, 1G in a traditional format or any 8 skaters and 1 G as an alternate. One less protection slot for the privilege for
protecting another D. Did anyone use that format last time? NSH would have been a natural candidate, given strength of D and weak FW corps.

Math

 

[BigG44]

How many defensemen can they protect? I think it has to do with D, Shapiro had an article on this.

But an even more interesting article was just released by a Norwegian reporter with the headline "This stops a Zuccarello deal". The guy is in contact with Zucc, he knows what's going on. It's more about why there is no deal yet, not that it won't happen.

Too bad it's in Norwegian, you'll have to use a translator.
Dette stopper en Zuccarello-avtale

It's interesting he brought up the tax savings and that it could be the reason Zucc signs for less than $6 million. I have not read the Athletic article that he mentioned stating that Dallas had a bonus overage of about $1 million. I figured that would like be true, but I was hoping the LTIR space could have been used from last year. I guess not.

That overage plus the cap being lower than expected is a blow. Bigger blow is not buying out Nichushkin which I did see Shapiro say was unlikely to happen.

 

[LT]

Not buying out Nichushkin is a confusing decision.

We already have 12 forwards signed currently (including VN). Dickinson hasn't been re-signed yet, he'll be 13. One of those 13 is Dowling, though, who should be in the AHL (in my opinion, at least), so back to 12.

We absolutely have to sign a top 6 forward, so we're back to 13. Kiviranta seems likely to earn a spot, so there's 14. There's no room for any other signings or any young players to make the roster then. Buying out Nichushkin gives you a chance to sign a more reliable depth player or even potentially give a youngster a chance.

I suspect the spot Kiviranta likely gets is the one that will be "open", and Nichushkin alone will be viewed as better than buying him out and adding another similar cap hit.

 

[Webster]

Yes Nill's Zucc project could be over. Zucc can now talk to other teams, and I didn't expect this to happen. It's sad if he doesn't return, because he did make the Stars a better team.

 

[BigG44]

Like I mentioned in the other thread, that observation doesn't make sense to me. Even if he wasn't acquired by Dallas at the deadline, he would still have been among the more logical options for Dallas, and Dallas would have still been a reasonable fit for him.

Only a handful of teams make sense for Zucc. Dallas absolutely could lose out on him, but him talking to other teams on Sunday doesn't mean the end of anything. If it's accurate that he's looking for a place to win over the most money he can get, that list of potential destinations is small.

 

[M88K]

Like I mentioned in the other thread, that observation doesn't make sense to me. Even if he wasn't acquired by Dallas at the deadline, he would still have been among the more logical options for Dallas, and Dallas would have still been a reasonable fit for him.

Only a handful of teams make sense for Zucc. Dallas absolutely could lose out on him, but him talking to other teams on Sunday doesn't mean the end of anything. If it's accurate that he's looking for a place to win over the most money he can get, that list of potential destinations is small.

Dallas isn't one of those though so they cannot be true at all

 

[________]

 

[Zapp]

Zucc's gone lol

 

[Kcb12345]

Ah yep Zucc is definitely leaving

 

[LT]

Nill better get working on bringing in another top 6 forward, then.

I'm still a bit hopeful, but we'll see.

 

[Troy McClure]

This is why Nichushkin wasn’t bought out. Nill needs bodies. Get ready for a summer of “we like Val’s work-oots and expect a big jump from him this year.”

 

[Benneguin]

I think Nill will point to Hintz and Dickinson as the reason they don't need to sign Zucc or anyone else for the top 6. Nevermind that neither has proven to be a top 6 forward over the course of an 82 game schedule and are probably 2/3 line tweeners, but it would be a way to sell inactivity this off-season.

 

[Troy McClure]

I think Nill will point to Hintz and Dickinson as the reason they don't need to sign Zucc or anyone else for the top 6. Nevermind that neither has proven to be a top 6 forward over the course of an 82 game schedule and are probably 2/3 line tweeners, but it would be a way to sell inactivity this off-season.

I’m fine pointing to Hintz, but that still means your second line is Hintz all by himself.

Also, need to update the thread title to read “former Star”.

 

[LT]

I think Nill will point to Hintz and Dickinson as the reason they don't need to sign Zucc or anyone else for the top 6. Nevermind that neither has proven to be a top 6 forward over the course of an 82 game schedule and are probably 2/3 line tweeners, but it would be a way to sell inactivity this off-season.

I think a big reason why they broke out is because of Zucc. Neither was particularly impressive for a long stretch until the playoffs.

 

[BigG44]

Like I said earlier before this news, I don't understand any gnashing of teeth that this is over. Given Dallas' cap situation AND Zucc's likely last major contract (some might even say 1st given the team friendly deals he's signed) ... it makes all of the sense in the world that this process is taking extra time.

 

[LT]

Like I said earlier before this news, I don't understand any gnashing of teeth that this is over. Given Dallas' cap situation AND Zucc's likely last major contract (some might even say 1st given the team friendly deals he's signed) ... it makes all of the sense in the world that this process is taking extra time.

Agreed. Makes too much sense for Zucc to at least see what he can get. Doesn't mean Dallas still isn't his #1 option.

Zucc has all the cards right now, and there's no reason he shouldn't play them and make a decision now.

 

[Zrhutch]

Put some money on Nyquist because that’s whats happening

 

[M88K]

I think a big reason why they broke out is because of Zucc. Neither was particularly impressive for a long stretch until the playoffs.

Except for Hintz did good during the end of the Reg season as well.

 

[ZeHockeyFan]

I think Nill will point to Hintz and Dickinson as the reason they don't need to sign Zucc or anyone else for the top 6. Nevermind that neither has proven to be a top 6 forward over the course of an 82 game schedule and are probably 2/3 line tweeners, but it would be a way to sell inactivity this off-season.

While I do think Hintz will likely live up to his expectations next season over 82 games, I think JD is not a reliable top-six threat. I see him more as a 3W who can supplement the bottom six with more offense than it has seen in the last 2-3 years.

But yeah, leave it to Jim the Dim to sell the crap out of "I like the team where it's at" with renewed vigor and find excuses to shove his boy-wonder Gurianov or even Janmark in that 2W spot with Hintz and JD.

 

[BigG44]

I think a big reason why they broke out is because of Zucc. Neither was particularly impressive for a long stretch until the playoffs.

100% on Dickinson. I think Hintz was slowly growing, and he was on fire without Zucc. They played 4 periods together before the playoffs, and Dickinson didn't really breakout until the playoffs. It took Hintz consistently being trusted with big minutes IMO .... Zucc wasn't the catalyst.

That said, they were fantastic together and it would be a big shame to not see that chemistry get a chance to thrive after consistent work together. Maybe I'm crazy, but Dallas' opportunity to sign Zucc is neither better or worse regardless of how close it is to July 1st or if he makes it all the way to July 1st unsigned. All feels like logical part of the process that always had a legitimate chance of him ending up somewhere else.

Still think Dallas and Zucc are in a good place to potentially extend the relationship though.

 

[Troy McClure]

Like I said earlier before this news, I don't understand any gnashing of teeth that this is over. Given Dallas' cap situation AND Zucc's likely last major contract (some might even say 1st given the team friendly deals he's signed) ... it makes all of the sense in the world that this process is taking extra time.

The gnashing of teeth is because this removes the certainty. The Stars need help, desperately need help. Now they go into July 1st with no answers.

 

[BigG44]

The gnashing of teeth is because this removes the certainty. The Stars need help, desperately need help. Now they go into July 1st with no answers.

Realistically though, that was probably always going to be true. That was my point earlier. He was in Dallas for 2 months, and he played only 13 complete games with the team. Guys that don't test free agency are typically signing above market value. The team that gets him on July 1st very likely will still end up doing that.

I just feel like if certainty was that important, you're talking about a deal closer to $7, and as much as I really like Zucc and want him back, I don't think he's worth that.

Now ... if I'm Nill and I found out that is legitimately the only way I'm getting him because another team went there, I don't fault him for getting a little gun shy and giving more money on July 1st.

Given the unique position that Zucc is in with free agency, him not being signed until he can have some conversations to see what is out there totally makes sense. I just think it's also the right decision not to money whip the guy 2 weeks or a month before free agency.