Report: New Canadian team in the mix for Rangers Zuccarello

It’s a good old fashioned sweepstakes!

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 5 years ago
Report: New Canadian team in the mix for Rangers Zuccarello
Zuma Press

We’re now just three weeks from the NHL’s February 21st trade deadline and if there’s one team to watch ahead of the deadline it’s the New York Rangers. 

The basement dwelling Rangers are in the midst of a pretty aggressive rebuild and have shipped out veteran players like Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash and Michael Grabner in the past calendar year in favor of draft picks and prospects. Look for them to employ a similar strategy at this year’s deadline, especially when it comes to players on expiring contracts like Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid.

There has been interest in both Zuccarello and Hayes, according to several NHL insiders with the Pittsburgh Penguins being linked to the Rangers with regards to Zuccarello. Now, according to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, there’s another suitor in the Zuccarello sweepstakes. Check out this quote from Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet in which he names the Calgary Flames as a suitor for the pending UFA:

Add Calgary to the list of teams that have checked in on Mats Zuccarello. But it is going to take a lot to pry Chris Kreider out of Manhattan. He’s got another year remaining. 


Interesting take on Kreider, as well. There’s no doubt that he’d be a fit on a lot of teams, but given that he’s under control for at least one more year, it’s likely that his price tag is higher than most teams would care to pay.

As for Zuccarello though, the 31 year old right winger has nine goals and 29 points in 38 games with the Rangers this season and he could be a great fit in the Flames top six. Newcomer Elias Lindholm has been fantastic for the Flames on the right wing this season, but free agent signing James Neal has struggled to put up points. Could Zuccarello be a fit in Cowtown?