Zuccarello (a rare case of a good 30+ ufa signing?)

[WesMcCauley]

Signed for 6 million * 5 years . Was 32 when 2019/20 season started, currently having a career year.
He pretty consistently was a 60ish point pace player for many years in NY prior to signing in Minnesota. Finally plays with an elite player which he has almost never done earlier in his career and is having a career year.

37 points in 65 games in 2019/2020 (47 point pace)
35 points in 42 games in 2020/2021 (68 point pace)
56 points in 46 games in 2021/2022 (100 point pace so far this season)

Pretty impressive at 34 for an undrafted and undersized player.

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[HFBS]

Never in doubt.

Love the Zuc.

 

[Michael HOMERUNing]

30+ good UFA signings aren’t rare. In fact most free agents are 30+.

 

[AKL]

It's amazing what being stapled to Kaprizov's hip can do for a player's stat line

 

[WesMcCauley]

30+ good UFA signings aren’t rare. In fact most free agents are 30+.

And most of them end up not performing close to their contract. Medium-high salary ufa signings that live up to their contracts are pretty rare.

 

[Michael HOMERUNing]

And most of them end up not performing close to their contract. Medium-high salary ufa signings that live up to their contracts are pretty rare.

My team has a couple. I’m pretty sure most teams have 1 or 2. I guess that’s rare in terms of percentage (maybe 15%?)

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Those numbers can't be right, HFBoards told me that any player over 30 is too old, slow and injury prone. Giving them more than $2 million is an overpayment and the GM should be fired.

 

[AKL]

Those numbers can't be right, HFBoards told me that any player over 30 is too old, slow and injury prone. Giving them more than $2 million is an overpayment and the GM should be fired.

The GM that gave Zuccarello his contract got fired shortly after

 

[thestonedkoala]

Those numbers can't be right, HFBoards told me that any player over 30 is too old, slow and injury prone. Giving them more than $2 million is an overpayment and the GM should be fired.

Technically speaking, the guy that signed Zuccs did get fired. But not for signing him.

 

[MK9]

The GM that gave Zuccarello his contract got fired shortly after

Yeah, but he left behind a great nickname for him.

 

[ForumNamePending]

The deal probably wasn't looking so hot after the first year, but I got to think it would be hard for Wild fans to have any complaints about it over the past couple of seasons. The thing is once a guy is comfortably into his 30s the decline can be sudden and steep... So still time for the contract to go sideways for the Wild.

Zuccarello is a easy guy to root for though, so I hope he continues to produce and gets another big contract after this one.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Those numbers can't be right, HFBoards told me that any player over 30 is too old, slow and injury prone. Giving them more than $2 million is an overpayment and the GM should be fired.

Thats around when players start to decline on average, and historically GMs didn’t really account for that. There are obviously exceptions, and come on, no one argues that like a 30+ Crosby is only worth 2 mil.

 

[Whoot Whoot]

I wonder if the Rangers planned Henrik retirement night to coincide with Zucc being there

 

[Cermi]

I wonder if the Rangers planned Henrik retirement night to coincide with Zucc being there

yes, no doubt about that

 

[WesMcCauley]

I wonder if the Rangers planned Henrik retirement night to coincide with Zucc being there

I am 100% sure its scheduled for that game against Minnesota so Zuccarello could be there.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

He was always a great player. Just had the misfortune of missing Panarin and Mika and Kreider in their primes while he was here. He had no finishers playing with him.

 

[Alwalys]

A player doesn't have to score 90 points to be considered a good signing.

 

[Breaded Fox]

Zucc forever!!!
View media item 10077

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

A player doesn't have to sc ore 90 points to be considered a good signing.

At his salary, 60ish was the hope.

 

[Alwalys]

At his salary, 60ish was the hope.

30+ UFA signings are NOT rarely good. There are plenty of good 30+ UFA signings. Including many HFBoards in its infinite lack of wisdom claims aren't good.

What I think *IS* rare is a 30+ UFA having a *career year* which seems to be the case here.

 

[egelband]

And most of them end up not performing close to their contract. Medium-high salary ufa signings that live up to their contracts are pretty rare.

Agree here. Usually a five year deal at that age is bad. Zucc success is not based on speed or physicality so he has aged pretty well. And if he stays healthy he should be a good
Middle-sixer til the end. Had there been no Covid flat cap his deal looks very reasonable now.

 

[IamNotADancer]

There are players you had on your team that move on and you just shrug your shoulders when you hear they are doing better or worse for another team.

Zucc was such an underdog coming to the Rangers I couldn't help but root for him every time he hit the ice. He was such a hard working guy and absolute team player. I can't think of a single person who dislikes the guy.

To me and my son he will always be special, for my son HE is the guy who scored the first Rangers goal in my kid's first ever Rangers game as I took him to MSG a few years back.

We both can still hear the echoing "ZUUUUUUUCC!!!" when he scored it, it's a shared connection for me and my son and a memory that will live on forever. Thanks Zuccs, I'm glad he is doing great nowadays!

 

[1specter]

I'll be honest, I didn't know this guy was still in the league. Crazy

 

[Norwegianoiler]

It's amazing what being stapled to Kaprizov's hip can do for a player's stat line

I think these kinds of analyses lack depth. As if there's ever unilateral influence on a hockey line. Zuccarello has worked well on right about every line he's been on, over several coaches and teams, which seems to indicate that he contributes rather well to players around him. Kaprizov's clearly a great player, but no one needs to carry Zuccarello (though they might be able to).

 

[Chimpradamus]

Signed for 6 million * 5 years . Was 32 when 2019/20 season started, currently having a career year.
He pretty consistently was a 60ish point pace player for many years in NY prior to signing in Minnesota. Finally plays with an elite player which he has almost never done earlier in his career and is having a career year.

37 points in 65 games in 2019 (47 point pace)
35 points in 42 games in 2020 (68 point pace)
34 points in 30 games in 2021 (93 point pace so far this season)

Pretty impressive at 34 for an undrafted and undersized player.

I wonder if the Rangers planned Henrik retirement night to coincide with Zucc being there

Hank chose the date himself, so it's obvious he chose the retirement ceremony against Minnesota because Zucc plays there.