Bobby Bevilacqua

The Rangers made the right decision in re-signing Mats Zuccarello, keeping the Norwegian in NYC for the next four seasons. Photo courtesy of Paul J. Bereswill/NY Post.

On March 2^nd during a press conference, Glen Sather formally announced the finalization of a four year contract extension with Norwegian winger Mats Zuccarello worth $18 million (4.5 AAV), and including a no trade clause in the first year of the deal. Rangers GM Glen Sather remarked on how much he liked and respected Zuccarello.

“I like everything about him – his tenacity, his hard work, his seeing the ice, the way he plays, the chemistry he brings to our team and the way he is in the dressing room,” said Sather. “He’s been a perfect player for us.”

Quite high praise from Sather. But Zuccarello truly deserves it. Last season, he was the Rangers leading scorer, with 19 goals and 40 assists, helping the team get into the playoffs. While he will not match that production this year, he is still having a solid year, and is a key reason that guys like Rick Nash and Derick Brassard are having tremendous success. Read the rest of this entry →